About 107,000 candidates who sat the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) obtained aggregates between six and 18, representing approximately 17 per cent of the estimated 620,000 candidates who took the examination.
The Coordinator of the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), Sherif Sulemana, disclosed this on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday, September 3, 2026, during a discussion on candidates’ performance and eligibility for placement into second-cycle institutions.
Mr Sulemana said about 565,000 candidates had been deemed eligible for placement this year, leaving approximately 55,000 candidates ineligible.
He explained that candidates who fail either English Language or Mathematics are disqualified from the placement exercise.
“You are disqualified from placement if you have failed either English or Mathematics,” he said.
Mr Sulemana, however, clarified that a Grade 9 does not automatically mean a candidate has failed. He said candidates’ raw scores are considered in determining whether they meet the requirements for placement.
The CSSPS coordinator also announced that call centres had been activated to assist candidates and parents with placement-related concerns.
He said the service would particularly benefit candidates and parents who live far from regional resolution centres.
“If you are in a district far from the regional centre, all you have to do is call the call centre, let them understand your issue, and that will be resolved for you,” he said.
