Education in Ghana: school stages, national exams and teacher licensing

In short

Ghana runs a basic education cycle that ends with a national certificate exam, a senior high school cycle that ends with the regional West African exam, and a university system that selects students mainly from the grades on that final certificate. The Ministry of Education sets policy, the Ghana Education Service (GES) manages public pre-tertiary schools, and NaCCA, the national council for curriculum and assessment, writes the curriculum. Universities and other tertiary institutions answer to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC). Teacher certification is regulated nationally by the National Teaching Council (NTC).

School stages

Formal schooling begins with two years of kindergarten, followed by six years of primary school and three years of junior high school (JHS). Together these make up basic education, which is free and compulsory in public schools, although families still buy items such as uniforms and some supplies. After JHS, students move to senior high school (SHS) for three years, where free tuition in public schools has been policy since the 2017 school year. Alongside the general SHS route there are technical and vocational schools, and some students move to colleges of education, which train teachers, or to technical training institutions.

At SHS, students follow a programme such as General Arts, General Science, Business, Agriculture, Visual Arts, Home Economics or a technical option. The programme decides which elective subjects they study next to the compulsory core subjects of English language, mathematics, integrated science and social studies. Many public SHS places are allocated through a computerised school placement system that matches a student's choices with their exam grades, and some well-known schools fill up first.

National exams and licensure

At the end of JHS, students sit the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), which decides placement into senior high school. At the end of SHS they sit the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), set by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). Candidates are examined in the four core subjects plus the electives of their programme, and results are reported as grades from the highest to the lowest. A good set of grades in the core subjects and the electives is the main key to the next stage.

For education graduates seeking a professional teaching licence, the National Teaching Council conducts the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination (GTLE). The GTLE assesses candidates across Essential Professional Skills, Literacy and Numeracy to confirm readiness for classroom teaching in Ghanaian schools.

Some private and international schools prepare students for Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge A-Level instead of, or in addition to, local exams. Cambridge qualifications are accepted by many universities, and applicants with foreign qualifications are normally referred for an equivalence decision before admission.

University admission

Ghanaian public universities admit most applicants on their WASSCE grades. A candidate needs credit-level grades in core English and core mathematics, a third core subject that is integrated science or social studies depending on the programme, and three relevant electives. The grades of these six subjects are added up into an aggregate in which a smaller sum is better, and each programme announces its own cut-off, which can change from year to year. Applicants apply to each university directly, through an online portal, and may be offered a place for a different programme if their first choice is full.

Beyond universities, technical universities offer diploma and degree routes in applied subjects, and colleges of education award teaching qualifications. Mature applicants and holders of other certificates can enter through special routes that each institution describes in its own prospectus. Because rules change, always read the current prospectus of the institution you want.

Language of instruction

English is the official language of instruction and of the exams. National policy asks schools to use a Ghanaian language, together with English, in kindergarten and the early primary grades, and English becomes the main medium of teaching later in primary school. This means that most students meet exam vocabulary in English from an early age, while many also speak languages such as Akan, Ewe, Ga or Dagbani at home. The questions on this site are in English, which suits the exams listed below.

Studying in Ghana

The school year in Ghana is divided into three terms, and WASSCE candidates usually write their papers in the middle of the year, so the months before that are the busiest for final-year students. Many SHS students board at school, which gives structured evening prep time but little individual choice of what to study. A practical routine is to rotate the four core subjects with the electives through the week, so that integrated science and social studies do not get left behind by the subjects a student prefers.

Past papers and the WAEC and NTC syllabuses are the best guide to what is asked, and teachers often hold extra classes before the exams. For English and literacy, practise reading short passages and writing summaries under time. For mathematics and numeracy, show every step, because method is read as well as the answer. Students who plan to apply abroad can add IELTS practice, since many overseas universities ask Ghanaian applicants for an English test even though English is the language of schooling.

Preparing with GetMyMockTest

GetMyMockTest offers free practice in English for these exams. Check the official format with each organiser.

• BECE: core subject practice in English Language, Mathematics and Integrated Science for junior high school candidates.
• GTLE: teacher licensure practice covering Essential Professional Skills, Literacy and Numeracy.
• General Knowledge (Ghana): questions on Ghanaian history, geography, governance and national culture.
• WASSCE: practice across core and elective subjects for senior high school candidates.
• Cambridge IGCSE: subject practice for students at schools that follow the Cambridge route.
• Cambridge A-Level: advanced subject practice for the final school years.
• IELTS: reading, listening, writing and speaking practice for study abroad.