GES reveals starting date for 2026/2027 pre-tertiary academic year
The management of the Ghana Education Service (GES), barring any unforeseen circumstances or last-minute changes, has scheduled the 2026/2027 academic year for the pre-tertiary schools to start on September 11, 2026.
The proposed September 11, 2026, starting date for the 2026/2027 academic year was contained in the 2025/2026 academic year calendar released by the Ghana Education Service (GES) and sighted by Pretertiary.com.
In a related development, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced the date for the 2026 edition of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), which will be administered to final-year Junior High School (JHS) students.
In a letter addressed to Regional Directors of Education, sighted by Pretertiary.com, the Ghana Education Service (GES) stated that the 2026 BECE for school and Private Candidates’ examination will take place from May 4, 2026, to May 11, 2026.
“The Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) has been scheduled to take place from 4th May to 11th May, 2026,” the Service under the Ministry of Education said in a 2026 academic calendar for pre-tertiary basic schools.
For the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School, the Ghana Education Service (GES) said the International examination will be conducted from April 20, 2026, to June 20, 2026.
GES has instructed Regional Directors of Education to inform Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Directors of Education of the latest developments about the 2026 BECE and WASSCE for School.
These officials are expected to inform heads of Basic and Senior High Schools across the country to ensure candidates are adequately prepared for the national School Candidates’ examinations.
The Service in Charge of Pre-tertiary education in the country has urged all relevant stakeholders in the education sector to take note of the dates and make the necessary arrangements to support candidates.
BECE
BECE is both for certification and selection into Senior High Schools and Technical Institutes in Ghana. The results of the examination is based on Continuous Assessment and the external examination. The Continuous Assessment forms 30% whilst the external examination forms 70% of the total assessment.
Candidates in the third year of Junior High Schools approved by the Ghana Education Service are eligible to register to take part in this examination.
Candidates are graded based on their performance in the external examination (objective and written) and Continuous (Internal) Assessment marks provided by the schools. A nine-point numerical scale is used in grading the candidates with Grade 1 denoting the highest performance and Grade 9 the lowest.
WASSCE
The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is administered to school candidates in the third year of Senior High School and to private candidates. The examination is for both selection to tertiary institutions and for certification.
The entry period is September to November and it lasts for six weeks. School authorities are expected to register their candidates and upload their entry data online. Continuous Assessment Scores are however received from the schools on CDs.
Other details of the entry procedure are provided in Notes for the Guidance of Schools which are supplied together with the entry documents.
The completed entry documents, together with evidence of payment of registration fees at a designated bank are expected to be submitted to the Council’s Office located in the region of the school.
