The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has ordered all tertiary institutions to stop making entrance examinations a compulsory requirement for admission, warning that the practice falls outside Ghana’s approved admission policy.
The directive follows concerns that some universities and colleges have begun requiring prospective students to pass entrance examinations before they can secure admission, a move GTEC says effectively replaces the nationally recognised entry requirements based on the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
In a circular dated July 20, 2026, and signed by Director-General Prof Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, the Commission reminded all tertiary institutions that admissions must comply with the country’s established regulatory framework. According to GTEC, the decision is aimed at protecting fairness, transparency and equal access to higher education.
The Commission stressed that WASSCE results remain the principal qualification for admission into tertiary institutions and should not be displaced by institution-specific entrance examinations.
“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. This practice is inconsistent with the national admissions framework and undermines equitable access to tertiary education.”
While prohibiting entrance examinations as a mandatory admission condition, GTEC clarified that institutions may still conduct such assessments for programmes with exceptionally high demand. However, these examinations must only serve as supplementary assessment tools and must not replace the minimum WASSCE-based admission requirements.
To enforce compliance, the Commission directed vice-chancellors, rectors, principals and other heads of tertiary institutions to ensure their admission processes remain anchored on the approved national entry criteria.
It further instructed institutions that have already issued, or intend to issue, admission notices making entrance examinations compulsory to immediately withdraw those notices and revise their admission procedures to conform with the existing regulations.
“The Commission respectfully requests that any institution which has issued, or intends to issue, admission notices requiring entrance examinations as a precondition for admission withdraw such notices and align its admission processes with the applicable regulatory framework,” it added.
GTEC also reminded institutions that its authority to regulate admission standards is backed by the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), which empowers the Commission to formulate and implement policies governing entry into tertiary education across the country.
Reaffirming its statutory mandate, the Commission stated:
“The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), established under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), draws the attention of all tertiary institutions to the Commission’s statutory mandate to develop and implement policy on criteria or requirements for admission to tertiary education institutions in the country,” the statement read.
