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2025 BECE Grading System WAEC Will Use

2025 BECE Grading System

The possible 2025 BECE grading system WAEC will use is worth knowing for both candidates and teachers. The 2025 BECE draws near and preparations cannot be done without teachers and learners keeping an eye on the grading system to be used by the West African Examination Council (WAEC).

With this grading scale, grades will be assigned from 1 to 9 in accordance with the performance you will exhibit in the 2025 BECE. These grades are explained as follows:

Grades 1 – 3: Getting any of these grades will mean you perfectly comprehend the subjects. For example, when you get grade 1 in Maths, it means you perfectly understood the Maths at the BECE level and have an excellent foundation for secondary education Maths.

Grade 4 – 6: These grades also mean that you have a fair comprehension and foundation of the subjects for secondary education Maths.

Grade 7 – 9: Finally, getting a grade within this range means you have a weak understanding of the subjects. For example, when your BECE maths grade is 9, it means you have not perfectly understood the Maths BECE exams. Candidates who unfortunately obtain grade 9 in English and/or Mathematics will not be placed in any school and will not have the chance of self-placement even if they obtain grade 1 in all other subjects.

Explanation of the Stanine Score Used to Grade Students:

As candidates and teachers prepare for this exam, it is important that they keep this information in mind and work hard to score better grades.

The Stanine Score ensures that a certain percentage of all students fall into one of the following categories.

In the BECE, the top 4% candidates will be awarded Grade 1, then the next 7% will get grade 2, etc.

Assuming your Science score is 91% in the BECE, but you are not in the top 4%, you may be placed in Grade 2. Alternatively, if your Science score is 90% and you are part of the top 4% of candidates, you will be given Grade 1.

In principle, the overall total performance of candidates who will sit in the 2025 BECE will influence your Stanine Score.

The 2025 BECE grading system uses a nine-point scale, with Grade 1 being the highest and Grade 9 the lowest. Here’s a breakdown of the grading system:

– Grade 1: Highest (90-100%)   – Top 4% of candidates will secure this grade in each subject.
– Grade 2: Higher (80-89%)  – Next 7% of candidates will secure this grade in each subject.
– Grade 3: High (70-79%) – Next 12% of candidates will secure this grade in each subject.
– Grade 4: High Average (60-69%) – Next 17% of candidates will secure this grade in each subject.
– Grade 5: Average (55-59%) – Next 20% of candidates will secure this grade in each subject.
– Grade 6: Low Average (50-54%) – Next 17% of candidates will secure this grade in each subject.
– Grade 7: Low (40-49%) – Next 12% of candidates will secure this grade in each subject.
– Grade 8: Lower (35-39%) – Next 7% of candidates will secure this grade in each subject.

– Grade 9: Lowest (0-34%) – Lowest 4% of candidates

To pass the BECE, candidates typically need to get an aggregate score of 36 or better from their six best subjects.

The aggregate score is calculated by summing the grades of the core subjects (English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies) and two other subjects.

The grading system also considers continuous assessment, which accounts for 30% of the final score, while the BECE examination accounts for 70%.

2025 BECE Grading System and Pass Mark

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Let’s take a look at the 2025 BECE grading system and the pass mark likely to be used as preperation goes on for the BECE scheduled for June 9-16, 2025. Students who want to make good grades and raw scores must target an average score of 70/100 for each subject. This requres a minimum of 30/40 in objective tests and a minimum of 40/60 in the subjective test. The higher the scores the better. Keep this in mind.

What Is The 2025 BECE Grading System?

The BECE is both for certification and selection into Senior High Schools and Technical Institutes in Ghana. The 2025 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, the BECE shows the 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: 2025 BECE Essential Tips for Teachers to Ensure Student Success in 2025

Below is the grading system for the 2025 BECE.

  1. 90-100 is graded as 1. It is the HIGHEST grade in the grading system.
  2. 80-89, the second category in this classification is graded as 2, GRADE A. it is denoted as HIGHER.
  3. 70-79, is grade 3, a B+ and is described as HIGH.
  4. 60 -69 is grade 4, GRADE B, described as HIGH AVERAGE.
  5. 55 – 60 is GRADE C+, classified as 5 and described as AVERAGE.
  6. LOW AVERAGE is a description of marks falling between 50-54 and GRADE C; number 6 in the grading system.
  7. Any mark ranging between 40 and 49 is considered as GRADE D+ and number 7; described as LOW
  8. 35-39 is GRADE E, which is number 8, described as LOWER in the Stanine grading system.
  9. GRADE F, 9 characterized by 9 is the LOWEST grade, which falls between 0-34

2025 BECE GRADING SYSTEM (SUMMARY)

90-100 : Grade A which is 1 and interprets as Highest

80-89 : Grade B+ which is 2 and interprets as Higher

70-79: Grade B which is 3 and interprets as High

60-69: Grade C+ which is 4 and interprets as High average

55-59: Grade C which is 5 and interprets as Average

50-54: Grade D+ which is 6 and interprets as Low average

40-49: Grade D which is 7 and interprets as Low

35-39: Grade E which is 8 and interprets as Lower

0-34: Grade F which is 9 and interprets as Lowest

 

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NB: WAEC sometimes uses the Stanine grading system for BECE. It is norm-referenced, meaning the result’s architecture is pre-determined. Under Stanine, the % of candidates who will obtain Grade 1-9 is virtually fixed, so you must justify your inclusion into that percentage.

 

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