Education policy think tank has called for a major restructuring of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), arguing that the current format no longer reflects its purpose under Ghana’s Free Senior High School policy.
Executive Secretary of the organisation, Kofi Asare, said the introduction of Free SHS in 2017 fundamentally changed the role of the BECE from a qualifying examination into what is now largely a school placement exercise.
According to Mr Asare, before Free SHS, fewer than 65 percent of BECE candidates achieved the required Aggregate 35 needed to progress to secondary education, making the examination a critical screening tool.
“With the introduction of Free SHS, however, access to secondary education became near universal for BECE candidates,” he explained, noting that about 98 percent of candidates now qualify annually for secondary education.
He pointed out that even candidates with Aggregate 54 are currently able to secure placement in schools, demonstrating that the examination no longer determines whether students proceed to secondary school, but rather which schools they attend.
“This means BECE results no longer primarily determine whether a student proceeds to secondary, but rather which school they are placed in.” Kofi Asare
Proposal to Reduce Subject Load
Mr Asare questioned why candidates still sit for 10 subjects over five days when the examination’s core purpose has shifted.
He proposed a more focused assessment structure that would retain English, Mathematics and Science as stand-alone subjects while merging the remaining subjects into a General Paper.
According to him, such a reform would reduce examination overload, lower stress levels among students and improve efficiency within the education system.
“A reduced subject load could significantly cut examination costs, potentially by up to 40 percent,” he said, adding that Ghana currently spends more than GH¢200 million annually on the BECE.
International Comparisons and Quality Concerns
The education advocate dismissed concerns that reducing the number of stand-alone subjects would weaken academic quality, arguing that there is little evidence supporting such claims.
“Ultimately, the strength of an education system is not determined by the volume of high-stakes examinations at lower secondary, but by the quality, relevance and coherence of assessments relative to their purpose.” - Kofi Asare
Mr Asare cited countries such as Brazil, Argentina, England and South Africa, which provide free secondary education without a BECE-style examination system.
He noted that many of these countries place their first major high-stakes assessments at the end of secondary education without evidence of declining standards.
Mr Asare revealed that the proposal was first submitted to the Government of Ghana by Africa Education Watch in 2023 and called for broader evidence-based discussions on assessment reforms.
He maintained that the future of Ghana’s education system should focus not only on summative examinations but also on strengthening formative assessment methods that better support learning outcomes.
READ ALSO: IMF Urges Bank of Ghana to Publish Systemically Important Banks Assessments
