The University of Ghana has defended its decision to conduct entrance examinations for applicants seeking admission into selected College of Health Sciences programmes before the release of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results.
The University, however, assured the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) that the arrangement is temporary and does not replace WASSCE as the principal basis for admission.
The University’s response follows a directive issued by GTEC on 20 July 2026, in which the Commission instructed tertiary institutions to discontinue the practice of making entrance examinations a mandatory requirement for admission.
GTEC argued that admissions should be based on the approved national admissions framework, with WASSCE serving as the primary qualification, warning that compulsory entrance examinations could undermine fairness, transparency and equal access to tertiary education.
The directive came after the University of Ghana announced that applicants to selected College of Health Sciences programmes would sit computer based entrance examinations between 3 and 8 August 2026, ahead of the release of the 2026 WASSCE results. The University had also indicated that admission decisions would ultimately be based on both entrance examination performance and WASSCE results.
In a letter dated 3 August 2026 and signed by the Registrar, the University responded to GTEC’s concerns, stressing that WASSCE remains central to its admission process.
“The WASSCE remains a fundamental requirement for admission into all undergraduate programmes of the University, including programmes in the College of Health Sciences,” the University stated.
It explained that the entrance examination serves only as an additional assessment tool because of the overwhelming competition for limited places in health related programmes.
“The entrance examination is intended to complement WASSCE performance as part of a holistic selection process and is neither intended to replace WASSCE nor diminish the importance attached to applicants’ WASSCE performance,” the letter said.
According to the University, the entrance examination is used solely to identify applicants who will proceed to the interview stage.
“Due to the limited number of spaces available for those programmes, the entrance examination is used as an additional criterion for shortlisting students for interview,” the University explained.
The University also sought to reassure the Commission that its admissions process remains fair and transparent.
“The University is also mindful of concerns regarding access and equity and remains committed to ensuring that its admissions processes are fair, transparent and responsive to the circumstances of applicants,” the letter noted.
Explaining why it introduced the current arrangement, the University pointed to disruptions caused by the COVID 19 pandemic and changes to the WASSCE calendar in recent years.
Management said the delayed release of WASSCE results had made it increasingly difficult to complete admissions before the start of the academic year, adding that conducting entrance examinations after the release of results placed “considerable pressure on our human resources and infrastructure.”
However, with WASSCE now returning to its traditional May and June examination period and the University’s academic calendar fully restored, Management says the temporary measure will end after this year’s admissions cycle.
“Next year the University will revert to the regular practice of conducting the entrance examinations after the release of the WASSCE results,” the University assured GTEC.
The University concluded by reaffirming its commitment to national policy and academic excellence.
“The University of Ghana remains committed to aligning its admissions processes with national policy while upholding its academic standards,” the letter stated.
By Wisdom Sarfo
