GTEC Orders Tertiary Institutions to Abolish Mandatory Entrance Exams, Citing WASSCE as Primary Admission Basis

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has issued a firm directive to all universities and colleges across the country to cease the use of mandatory entrance examinations as a prerequisite for admission. In a move aimed at standardizing the admissions process, the Commission emphasized that tertiary institutions must strictly adhere to the approved national minimum entry requirements. This directive reinforces the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results as the primary criterion for determining student eligibility, ensuring that the admissions framework remains transparent and accessible to all qualified applicants.

According to GTEC, the practice of some institutions bypassing established entry standards by imposing compulsory internal tests has created barriers to equitable access. The Commission observed that several universities were making these exams a mandatory condition, which often conflicted with national guidelines and hindered fair opportunity. While GTEC clarified that entrance exams are not entirely prohibited, it stipulated that they may only be used as supplementary assessment tools for highly competitive programs. However, they must not replace or undermine the WASSCE-based entry criteria, nor can they be used as a gatekeeping mechanism that overrides a candidate's senior high school performance.

Tertiary institutions have been instructed to immediately revoke any admission notices or public advertisements that list entrance examinations as a compulsory requirement. GTEC has warned that the failure of any institution to align its policies with these regulatory guidelines could result in sanctions. By enforcing this directive, the Commission aims to protect the rights of prospective students and ensure that the transition from secondary to higher education is governed by a consistent and fair set of standards. This regulatory shift is expected to streamline the application process for thousands of students across Ghana, focusing on academic merit as demonstrated through the national examination system.