The Coordinator of the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), Sherif Sulemana, has explained how candidates are ranked and placed into senior high schools, shedding light on why raw scores can sometimes determine who gets a slot when candidates have different aggregate scores.

According to him, the placement process begins with candidates being ranked based on their aggregate scores before their selected schools, programmes and residential preferences are matched against available spaces.

SHS school placement, all you need to know

Speaking on the Joy FM Super Morning Show on Thursday, September 3, 2026, Sulemana said candidates are ranked from the best aggregate of six to the lowest aggregate of 54.

“So the placement process is quite simple and straightforward. First of all, we rank candidates based on their aggregate scores,” he explained.

“If you have about 620,000 candidates, we rank them from the top, which is the six, to the bottom, which is an aggregate 54,” he added.

Once the ranking is completed, the system considers the choices made by each candidate.

These include the senior high school, programme of study and residential preference, whether day or boarding.

Sulemana explained that, for instance, a candidate could select Tamale Senior High School, choose General Science and opt for boarding.

The system then checks whether the candidate's aggregate is competitive enough to secure a place based on the number of slots available for that particular school, programme and residential option.

“So we match the candidates’ aggregate scores to their choices, to their schools, and to the programmes and the residence of study they want,” he said.

How raw scores come in

Sulemana said raw scores become important when two or more candidates have the same aggregate and are competing for the same limited space.

He used the example of two candidates who both obtain aggregate six and choose Tamale Senior High School, General Science and boarding.

Where only one slot is available, the system needs an additional way to determine which of the two candidates should be placed.

“That’s where we use the raw scores to break the tie of the candidates,” he explained.

He stressed that aggregate scores remain the primary basis for ranking, with raw scores only coming into play when candidates are tied.

“We can compete, but once we are using the aggregate scores, we only bring in the raw scores to break a tie,” he said.

However, Sulemana's explanation also highlighted a situation that could appear confusing to parents and candidates, where a candidate with aggregate eight could secure a place ahead of another candidate with aggregate six.

He explained that this can happen when candidates are competing for exactly the same school, programme and residential option and their raw scores are used to determine who gets the available slot.

Why aggregate scores may not tell the whole story

Sulemana linked the situation to the current grading system, explaining that grades are determined by candidates' performance relative to others.

He said a candidate could score 60 marks in a subject and receive a grade one if that mark represents the highest performance in the subject.

Another candidate could score 90 but receive a lower grade if other candidates performed better.

“So if someone had scored 90 and gotten, say, two, and someone scores 60 and gets a one, that means the 90 is higher than the 60,” he said.

He said this is where raw scores can provide a clearer picture of the actual performance of candidates who are competing for the same placement slot.

“That’s where sometimes we rely on the raw scores so that the raw scores now become the true reflection of the candidate, not the aggregate score,” he explained.

Using another example, he said a candidate with aggregate six could lose a placement slot to another candidate with aggregate eight if the latter has a higher raw score.

“So based on that as well, you can have a candidate with an aggregate six, another with an aggregate eight, competing for the same slot in the same school, the same programme, and the same residential status, and the one with the eight goes in because he has a higher raw score than the one with the six,” he said.

The explanation is likely to be of interest to parents and candidates who often focus only on the aggregate shown on their results when trying to predict their chances of securing admission into competitive schools.

Sulemana admitted that the CSSPS may have to do more to explain the role of raw scores to the public.

“I also concede that maybe we have to go beyond just the aggregate scores and educate the general public on using the raw scores in the placement process as well,” he said.

The CSSPS Coordinator also acknowledged concerns surrounding the current grading system, saying the issue had previously been discussed during engagements on the placement process.

“During our initial engagements on the placements, I mean, we conceded that we may have to take a second look at using the state line system for the grading,” he said.

He explained that the system can result in significant differences in raw marks among candidates even when their grades and aggregates suggest otherwise.

Meanwhile, Sulemana has assured candidates and parents that preparations for the release of the 2026 school placements are complete.

He said the CSSPS team was putting the finishing touches to the system ahead of the expected release on Friday, September 4, 2026.

“We are set. That assurance we can give the general public. We are set. There’s no cause for alarm. We are set,” he said.

NA/BAI