Holders of the General Business Certificate Examination (GBCE) scores are eligible for admission to level 100 in any tertiary institution in the nation, according to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
Those who have passed the Advanced Business Certificate Examination (ABCE) are also permitted to enroll in higher institutions at level 200.
The instruction comes after the Ghana Higher Education Commission (GTEC), currently known as the National Accreditation Board, approved the use of the (G/ABCE) qualifications as prerequisites for admission to the nation’s tertiary institutions.
Equivalent
The Head of National Office of WAEC, Wendy Enyonam Addy-Lamptey, explained the G/ABCE qualifications and equivalents in an interview with the Daily Graphic, stating that the exams were accepted and accredited.
She claimed that people who had passed the GBCE were just as eligible to enroll in universities as people who had passed the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Despite reassuring them that these certificates were genuine and could be compared to the WASSCE, Mrs. Addy-Lamptey explained that certain postsecondary institutions didn’t seem to be comfortable with applicants who held such credentials.
“The equality of the G/ABCE certifications or qualifications should not be questioned by tertiary institutions. An A in the G/ABCE is equivalent to an A1 in the WASSCE, the speaker said.
Mrs. Addy-Lamptey was delighted that there was not a single instance of malpractice reported prior to, during, or during the administration of the 2022 G/ABCE exam.
2022 Final
While 260 candidates took the GBCE, a total of 305 candidates took the ABCE. The results could be viewed online at www.waecgh.org, according to WAEC.
“The Council is reminding members of the public, especially candidates to be on the lookout for fraudsters who may approach them and promise to upgrade examination results for a fee,” the council warned the public and the candidates.
The candidates received assurances from the council that their results were safe and could be verified through the results verification system or by downloading the WAEC QR code.
Evolution
Mrs. Addy-Lamptey provided a history of the G/ABCE, stating that it was once known as the Stage II and III RSA Certificates, localization of which began in 1983 and was finished in 1990, after which the WAEC took control and changed the name to Ghana Commercial Examinations.
However, she said that in 1997, the Stage II exam’s name was changed to GBCE, while the Stage III exam’s name was changed to ABCE.
“The council added the ABCE November/December series in addition to the May/June series in 2001.
With the exception of information technology, all subjects for the GBCE are available in May and June, she said.
Mrs. Addy-Lamptey continued by saying that the Social Studies and Integrated Science syllabuses for the SSSCE were accepted and implemented into the GBCE in 2004 in an effort to make postsecondary education more accessible to holders of G/ABCE certificates.
The November/December examination series will stop in 2017 due to the low number of applicants and resulting financial losses to the council, according to Mrs. Addy-Lamptey.
According to her, students preparing for the GBCE currently take the same core topics as WASSCE candidates: English Language, Mathematics, Integrated Science, and Social Studies.
In actuality, both exams use the identical study materials. Additionally, the same number of papers are taken in each of the key disciplines for both exams,” she continued.