The Ghana Education Service (GES) in partnership with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) under the auspices of the Ministry of Education (MoE) has released a series of comprehensive assessment items (sample questions) and preparatory materials for the Common Core Programme (CCP) curriculum for the upcoming Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) 2024 and beyond.
Parents, teachers, and learners are to make use of these items in preparation for the Junior High School (JHS) Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). Each Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) sample question is aligned with these subject areas outlined in the Common Core Programme (CCP) Curriculum.
BECE Science Sample Questions
These sample questions and preparatory test items are developed based on the Common Core Programme (Science Curriculum) for the Junior High School.
This preparatory test has been developed to assess your understanding of key science concepts covered in the Common Core Programme Curriculum. The test focuses on the following five strands:
- Diversity of Matter
- Cycles
- Systems
- Forces and Energy
- Humans and the Environment
BECE English Language Sample Questions
The central point of the standard-based curriculum is the concept of learning domains that should be the basis for instruction and assessment. These are knowledge, understanding, application, analyses, synthesis, evaluation and creation. This is expected to translate into the attitudes and values of learners.
Under this domain, learners acquire knowledge through some learning experiences. Learners may also show an understanding of concepts by comparing, summarising, and re-writing in their own words and constructing meaning from instruction. At a higher level of learning behavior, the learner may be required to analyze, synthesize evaluate, estimate, and or interpret a concept knowledge by integrating several ideas to formulate a plan, solve a problem, compose a story, or a piece of music. At the last level, which is the highest, learners may be required to create, invent, compose, design, and construct using the English Language.
The focus is to move teaching and learning from the didactic acquisition of “knowledge” where there is fact memorization, heavy reliance on formulae, remembering facts without critiquing them or relating them to the real world – surface learning – to a new position called – deep learning. Learners are expected to deepen their learning by knowledge application to develop critical thinking skills and to generate creative ideas to solve real-life problems in their school lives and later, in their adult lives.
BECE Mathematics Sample Question
The standards-based mathematics [CCP] curriculum focuses on developing learners’ conceptual understanding, as well as the application of concepts to everyday life situations as opposed to the objective-based curriculum where teaching and learning mainly focus on learners’ ability to memorize and reproduce content.
This shift implies that assessments will move beyond memorizing discrete bits of information that do not encourage critical thinking and problem-solving. Therefore, as a way of preparing learners and supporting teachers to ascertain whether learners demonstrate conceptual understanding and meet the standards, sample items have been carefully constructed for learners to engage with and measure their proficiency in preparation for their final examination.
The test covers all the strands and sub-strands, content standards, and learning indicators.
- Number Concepts
- Algebra Concepts
- Geometry and Measurement Concepts
- Data Concepts
NB: Other subjects will be uploaded in the coming days.
Did You Know
BECE Syllabus Topics and Structure for Examination
Subjects for BECE Registration
List of Category A, B, C and D Senior High Schools (SHS) in Ghana
GES Guidelines for School Selection and Placement (CSSPS)