Kofi Asare, the CEO of Eduwatch, has shed light on the Stanine grading system used by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
The Stanine grading system is based on a norm-referenced approach, where the framework of the results is predetermined.
Essentially, the percentages for obtaining Grades 1-9 are fixed, thus making it imperative for candidates to demonstrate exceptional merit to fall within those specific percentage brackets.
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This year, nearly 600,000 candidates sat for the BECE, and the Stanine grading system was applied as follows:
- Only the top 4% (24,000) of candidates who sit for a subject paper can achieve grade 1.
- Automatically, the next 7% (42,000) of candidates who sit for a subject paper obtain grade 2.
- Automatically, the next 12% (72,000) of candidates who sit for a subject paper obtain grade 3.
- Automatically, the next 17% (102,000) of candidates who sit for a subject paper obtain grade 4.
- Automatically, the next 20% (120,000) of candidates who sit for a subject paper obtain grade 5.
- Continuing with the trend, the subsequent 17% (102,000) of candidates who sit for a subject paper achieve Grade 6.
These percentages continue until all candidates have been assigned a grade, ultimately culminating in the final 4% (24,000) securing the lowest grade
According to Asare, the Stanine grading system sets strict limits on the percentage of candidates who can achieve each grade, with only 4% of candidates able to obtain Grade 1.
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This means that candidates must compete with their peers to justify their inclusion in the higher grade brackets.
The explanation provided by Asare offers insight into the BECE grading system and highlights the competitive nature of achieving top grades under the Stanine system.