GOOD NEWS: No Candidate Will Fail The 2023 BECE – WAEC Explains
The West African Examinations Council(WAEC) has explained why candidates of the 2023 BECE won’t fail in any subject of the exams. In a series of interviews conducted by WAEC officials at various media houses in Ghana, WAEC made it clear that there is nothing like ‘Fail’ in BECE.
The BECE Grading system has been designed in a way that there is nothing like ‘Fail’ on the result slip of candidates. Unlike the WASSCE which shows ‘FAIL’ for marks less than 35, BECE shows LOWEST grade. This clearly means that there is nothing like fail in BECE.
However, this doesn’t mean that candidates should not learn. Any candidates who fail to get the best grades will not get admission into any senior high school in Ghana. The best option for these candidates is to write the BECE(Private Candidate), also known as BECE NOVDEC.
READ ALSO: 2023 WASSCE And BECE Apor Registration Underway
Below is the grading system for the 2033 BECE.
- 90-100 is graded as 1, GRADE AA+. It is the HIGHEST grade in the grading system.
- 80-89, the second category in this classification is graded as 2, GRADE A. it is denoted as HIGHER.
- 70-79, is grade 3, a B+ and is described as HIGH.
- 60 -69 is grade 4, GRADE B, described as HIGH AVERAGE.
- 55 – 60 is GRADE C+, classified as 5 and described as AVERAGE.
- LOW AVERAGE is a description of marks falling between 50-54 and GRADE C; number 6 in the grading system.
- Any mark ranging between 40-49 is considered as GRADE D+ and number 7; described as LOW
- 35-39 is GRADE E which is number 8, described as LOWER in the Stanine grading system.
- GRADE F, 9 characterized by 9 is the LOWEST grade, which falls between 0-34.
HOW THE BECE WILL BE MARKED
1. WAEC follows a standardised procedure in the development, finalisation and application of marking schemes used in the marking of scripts for the BECE.
2. Only one draft marking scheme is developed for each subject.
3. The draft marking schemes (one for each subject) are finalised at National Preliminary Coordination Meetings which are attended by Chief Examiners and Zonal Team Leaders for each of the BECE subjects.
4. The final marking schemes (one for each subject) are used to mark dummy scripts of candidates to ensure consistency in the award of marks.
5. Zonal Coordination Meetings for Chief Examiners, Zonal Team Leaders and Team Leaders are thereafter held at all marking venues throughout the country to once again, mark dummy scripts and ensure consistency in the award of marks.
6. Main Coordination Meetings are finally held for Chief Examiners, Zonal Team Leaders and Assistant Examiners at all marking venues used for the marking of BECE scripts. The marking schemes which were finalised earlier are the marking schemes that are used.
7. At the end of the Coordination Meetings, all the examiners use the final marking scheme for each subject to mark the scripts of all candidates.
8. Neither names of schools nor school status (private/public) are indicated on the envelopes containing the scripts of candidates.
9. Scripts are swapped across the sixteen regions of the country to ensure that examiners in the various regions do not mark scripts of candidates for their respective regions.
10. The Stanine Grading System is used to grade candidates who sat for the BECE.
11. Unlike teacher-made assessments, there are no fixed grade boundaries for the BECE. The grade boundaries for each subject vary from year to year depending on the performance of candidates.
