After the 2025 BECE results were released, it has become clear that four groups of students will be denied a school placement into any of the five secondary schools they selected under the Free SHS policy, especially if their results are cancelled or withheld. But there are more learners who will not be placed even though they passed the exam.
The Minister of Education will on 27th August at 2 pm hold a press conference on the release of the 2025 school placement. So much if expected from that press conference and the details are posted here >>>2025 BECE School Placement (CSSPS) Press Conference Slated For Today – MoE
These students will face at least a one-year delay before standing a chance of being considered for Free SHS in any public school. Let us take a look at these categories of students. This will help you know if a student you know falls within these four groups.
Why Will Some 2025 BECE Students Not Get a School Placement?
What Could Disqualify a Student From the 2025 BECE School Placement?
Below are the factual reasons that answer the questions above.
1. Students whose results are cancelled by WAEC
When WAEC releases the BECE results, any candidate whose results are cancelled after investigations will see the description “Cancelled” against the affected subjects or their entire results.
Such students will automatically miss the school placement because of their academic records. The over 1,400 BECE candidates invited by WAEC to assist in investigations must keep hoping since some may have their results cancelled if WAEC is convinced they cheated in the just-ended BECE.
2. Students with withheld results
If WAEC has not completed its investigations for a student or group of students, their results will be described as “Withheld.”
This means WAEC will continue investigations even after other candidates’ results are released. If the results remain withheld when the SHS placement is done, such students will not be considered and therefore cannot access secondary education in any public SHS.
3. Students who obtained Grade 9 in Mathematics or English Language (or both)
Although the Ministry of Education has not declared an official cut-off point, it is common knowledge that candidates who score Grade 9 in Mathematics, English Language, or both will not be placed in any school.
Such students will also not be allowed to do self-placement. This means they will miss secondary education in 2025 under the Free SHS programme.
4. Students absent during any Core Subject
Students who were absent from any of the four core subjects (English Language, Mathematics, Science, or Social Studies) papers cannot be placed in a school.
This is because placement is determined by the raw scores of the four core subjects plus the best two from the remaining subjects. If one of the core scores is missing, the student’s placement becomes impossible.
5. Failure to enroll after placement
Finally, if parents fail to check their ward’s placement or do not enrol the student in the school within the official enrolment period, the student risks losing their chance to access secondary education under the Free SHS policy.
READ: How to Check BECE 2025 Placement – MoE Issues New Procedure
If any of the above issues apply—such as being absent during a core subject, obtaining Grade 9 in English or Mathematics, or having results withheld or cancelled—you already know the implications. In such cases, the only solution may be to resit the BECE the following year.
