University admissions reset as GTEC draws red line on compulsory entrance exams

Thousands of students seeking admission to Ghana's universities and other tertiary institutions will no longer be required to pass compulsory entrance examinations before being offered a place, after the country's higher education regulator ordered institutions to end the practice.

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has directed all tertiary institutions to stop making entrance examinations a mandatory condition for admission, saying the requirement is inconsistent with Ghana's national admissions policy and undermines equal access to higher education.

In a circular dated July 20 and signed by the Commission's Director-General, Prof Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, GTEC said it had become aware that some institutions were requiring prospective students to pass entrance examinations before they could be considered for admission.

According to the Commission, those examinations were effectively replacing or bypassing the nationally approved minimum entry requirements based on the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

"The Commission has noted with concern that some tertiary institutions are introducing entrance examinations that operate as preconditions for admission, effectively bypassing or superseding the minimum entry requirements based on WASSCE results," the circular said.

It added that the practice was inconsistent with the national admissions framework and undermined equitable access to tertiary education.

WASSCE remains the standard for admission

GTEC instructed all universities and tertiary institutions to ensure that admissions continue to be based on the prescribed national minimum entry requirements, with WASSCE results remaining the principal qualification for admission.

The regulator clarified that entrance examinations are not prohibited altogether.

Instead, institutions may use them only as an additional assessment tool for highly competitive programmes, provided they do not become a compulsory requirement that overrides the minimum WASSCE qualifications.

The Commission also directed any institution that has already advertised or intends to advertise admissions requiring compulsory entrance examinations to withdraw those notices immediately and align their admission procedures with the national regulatory framework.

Protecting fairness in admissions

The directive forms part of GTEC's efforts to ensure that admissions into tertiary institutions remain transparent, fair and consistent across the country.

The Commission said introducing compulsory entrance examinations creates an admissions system that departs from the nationally approved framework, which recognises WASSCE as the primary qualification for entry into tertiary education.

In its circular, GTEC reminded institutions that it derives its authority from the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), which mandates the Commission to develop and implement policies governing admission requirements for tertiary education in Ghana.

Although GTEC did not identify the institutions involved, the directive applies to all public and private tertiary institutions and is expected to influence admissions for the upcoming academic year.