Per the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), university admissions in Ghana are primarily determined by two key components.[1]
The first is a candidate’s continuous assessment, which accounts for 30% of the final WASSCE grade. This includes assignments, test scores, and end-of-semester exams taken throughout the three-year high school period, reflecting a student’s overall academic consistency.
The second and larger component is the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), which accounts for 70% of a student’s final grade.
WAEC’s WASSCE grading system follows a nine-point numerical scale, with Grade 1 representing the highest performance and Grade 9 representing the lowest, as shown in the table below. [2]
| Grade | Equivalent | Percentage | Interpretation |
| A1 | 1 | (75-100)% | Excellent |
| B2 | 2 | (70-74)% | Very good |
| B3 | 3 | (65-69)% | Good |
| C4 | 4 | (60-64)% | Credit |
| C5 | 5 | (55-59)% | Credit |
| C6 | 6 | (50-54)% | Credit |
| D7 | 7 | (45-49)% | Pass |
| E8 | 8 | (40-44)% | Pass |
| F9 | 9 | (0-39)% | Fail |
Ghana’s university admission system has followed this standardised approach since it replaced the SSCE in June 2006, ensuring that students are evaluated based on their long-term academic performance and final WASSCE results.
However, like many other academic setups in Ghana, it bears certain flaws which need to be addressed.
Is this approach truly equitable?
This approach was designed to ensure academic excellence through transparency, ensuring that students are admitted based on academic merit rather than any subjective criteria. The high-stakes nature of it also motivates students to remain diligent in their studies and achieve academic excellence.
And while this system does well to prioritise academic merit, its fairness remains a concern, especially for students who face setbacks in the course of their academic journey.
Sudden challenges, such as severe illness on exam day, can disrupt a student’s concentration and affect their academic performance. Although WAEC provides specific measures, such as rescheduled exams or special consideration for such cases, these often involve numerous strict and time-consuming reviews and documentation that may be detrimental to the involved candidates.
There are also long-term issues, such as inadequate infrastructure and learning tools (particularly in rural areas), that hinder students’ academic performance. Moreover, there are instances where students fall victim to errors or negligence in the grading process. The result is an unjustly low score that ultimately affects their university admission through no fault of their own.
These scenarios raise a critical question: Is the current admissions structure truly equitable for all Ghanaian students, or does it restrict opportunities for those who could thrive if given alternative ways to prove their abilities?
A call for a more balanced admissions process
The argument presented here is not intended to replace the existing admission process and its associated policies. Instead, it is a call to recognise its limitations and introduce complementary measures that would present a more balanced admission system. To ensure this balance while maintaining academic standards, universities in Ghana should consider expanding their selection criteria beyond WASSCE and continuous assessment scores by including effective alternatives.
Ghanaian universities should expand their admissions criteria by recognising the extracurricular achievements students earn through involvement in community service, volunteer work, and other creative initiatives. Senior high schools must therefore encourage and provide opportunities to ensure that, through these extracurricular activities, students develop essential skills they might need in their academics and beyond.
This should follow a revised admissions model that replaces the current 70:30 ratio with a 60:30:10 ratio, where 60% is based on the external WASSCE scores, 30% on continuous assessment and 10% on extracurricular accomplishments during senior high school. This approach ensures that students who excel outside the classroom are recognised, establishing a better evaluation of candidates while maintaining academic merit as a priority.
Another approach to creating a more balanced admissions system is the inclusion of university entrance exams for students who narrowly miss the required cutoff point for their desired university courses, ensuring that their academic potential is not overlooked.
These exams would focus more on problem-solving and critical thinking per their chosen university program, rather than encouraging rote memorisation. Entrance exams enable students to apply their knowledge and show their wits in practical contexts, thereby better preparing them for the complexities of higher education and professional life.
The additional upside is that universities admit students who are not only academically sound but also capable of analytical and rational thinking in specific occupational situations. Additionally, this approach could be incorporated into 10% of the revised admissions model, providing a second chance to students with the potential to excel in their chosen fields.
Similarly, introducing personal statements into the admission process presents a chance for students to showcase their potential beyond their exam results. These personal statements can provide insight into an applicant’s goals and capabilities, offering a perspective that standardised tests may overlook.
This additional requirement to the admission system enables students to express themselves effectively. It ensures a more accurate assessment of their potential and suitability for the tertiary level and their chosen career path, rather than blindly accepting them based on generalised external examinations.
Of course, these personal statements should not be the sole determining factor in whether students gain admission. However, they can provide additional insight into their capabilities, offering a fairer evaluation of their strengths and skills.
These recommendations do not diminish the significance of academic excellence but rather acknowledge and validate other equally important alternatives that contribute meaningfully to higher education and society.
Education should unlock potential, not limit it
True academic excellence must accommodate the abilities, progress, and creativity of students, rather than defining their potential solely through test scores and high-stakes exams. Ghana’s brightest minds shouldn’t be lost to a system that has almost outlived its usefulness. It’s not broken, it’s just now incomplete as the world around us continues to advance.
Our rural students, our creative thinkers, our local community leaders and innovators deserve the same shot at tertiary and higher education as those who happen to excel at standardised tests. We demonstrated our willingness to evolve when we transitioned from the SSCE to the WASSCE to enhance regional competitiveness; it’s time for another step forward.
Footnotes
[1] https://waecgh.org/
[2]https://avenuegh.com/waec-wassce-grading-system-marking-scheme-2021-2022-2023-2024-2025/?citationMarker=43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054
