The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced that the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) portal for the online capturing and uploading of candidates’ school selection data for the 2026 placement exercise will open from Monday, August 24 to Thursday, August 27, 2026.

According to a press statement issued on Monday, August 24, the directive affects all Heads of Junior High Schools (JHSs) and forms part of preparations for the placement of candidates into senior high schools and technical and vocational education and training institutions following the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

In a directive to Heads of JHSs, the GES Management said the WAEC portal would be available during the four-day period to enable schools to capture and submit candidates’ school selection information.

The GES has also directed headteachers who have not yet completed the uploading of candidates’ school choices on the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) portal for pre-testing to do so by the close of work on Monday, August 24.

After completing the CSSPS pre-testing upload, the headteachers are expected to proceed to the WAEC portal to capture and upload the required school selection data.

The Service has therefore urged schools to adhere strictly to the respective deadlines to prevent delays in the processing of candidates’ information.

The exercise requires schools to ensure that candidates’ school choices are accurately captured before the information is submitted through the designated system.

The GES said the WAEC portal has been configured to allow the same school ID and password to be used simultaneously on multiple computers.

According to the Service, the arrangement is intended to assist schools with large numbers of candidates to undertake the data-capturing exercise concurrently.

The facility is expected to make the process faster and more efficient by allowing several officials or computers to work on the data at the same time.

GES said this would help schools complete the exercise within the stipulated period and facilitate the timely submission of candidates’ information.

The Service has directed Metro, Municipal and District Directors of Education, together with Examination Coordinators, to closely supervise and monitor the exercise.

They have been tasked with ensuring that the data of all eligible candidates are properly captured, verified and submitted within the specified timeframe.

The directive places responsibility on education authorities at the local level to monitor schools under their jurisdiction and address any challenges that may arise during the exercise.

The supervision is also intended to minimise errors and ensure that information submitted for the placement exercise accurately reflects the school choices of eligible candidates.

Regional Directors of Education have also been asked to communicate the directive to all relevant schools and education officials within their respective jurisdictions.

The directive follows an earlier GES letter, referenced GES/HO/DG/494/2026 and dated August 18, 2026, concerning the school selection and placement exercise.

The latest instruction is aimed at ensuring that all administrative and data-capturing processes are completed on time to support the 2026 placement exercise.

With the WAEC portal available only until Thursday, August 27, schools have been urged to begin or complete the required processes without delay.

Headteachers who are yet to complete the CSSPS pre-testing upload have been given the earlier deadline of close of work on August 24, after which they are expected to proceed with the WAEC portal submission.

GES has stressed the importance of accurate data capture, verification and timely submission, given the potential impact of errors or omissions on candidates’ placement arrangements.

The GES is urging all concerned officials to comply fully with the instructions and make effective use of the available period to complete the process for all eligible candidates.