55,000 BECE Candidates Face Exclusion From Placement
Follow Nukunya
Get the latest breaking news and updates from Nukunya.
55,000 BECE Candidates Face Exclusion Over English or Maths Failure
According to the Coordinator of the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), Sherif Sulemana, around 55,000 candidates are likely to miss out on placement after failing either English Language or Mathematics.
The good news is that the vast majority made it through. Out of roughly 620,000 candidates who sat the 2026 BECE, about 565,000 have met the requirements needed for placement into second-cycle institutions.
Based on our analysis, we have about 565,000 candidates qualified for placement this year, Sulemana said, speaking on Thursday, September 3.
Sulemana was clear about the rule that trips candidates up most often. Under CSSPS guidelines, failing either English Language or Mathematics is an automatic disqualifier from placement, regardless of how well a candidate performed elsewhere.
You are disqualified from placement if you have failed either English or Mathematics, he explained.
Do the math on the figures he shared, and that leaves roughly 55,000 candidates at risk of exclusion this year. Sulemana added that raw scores also factor into the final determination of who qualifies.
Beyond the pass-fail line, Sulemana shared a deeper breakdown of how candidates actually scored. Only around 17 percent of candidates, roughly 107,000 students, achieved aggregates between 6 and 18 the strongest performance band.
A larger group, about 252,000 candidates or 35 percent of the total, fell within the 6 to 24 aggregate range.
To help candidates and parents navigate the placement process, CSSPS has activated its call centres. Sulemana noted that these lines are particularly useful for families living far from regional resolution centres, giving them a way to raise concerns without needing to travel.
As the placement exercise moves forward to determine which second-cycle schools candidates will attend, CSSPS is encouraging parents and candidates to make full use of the support channels available if any issues come up.
