Top 15 CSSPS FAQ on SHS Placement

Here are the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the Computerized School Selection and Placement System – CSSPS. Parents, Teachers as well as the general public can find answers concerning Senior High School (SHS) Placement.

Table of Contents

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Senior High School (SHS) Placement

Question 1

Can I change the school I selected through self-placement?

Answer

YES. A candidate who got placed in a school through self-placement can change the school on the portal so long as that candidate has not enrolled in a school.

Question 2

Can a student change residential status or programme of study after placement?

Answer

NO. A candidate usually gets placed into a particular school based on their preferred programme and the residential status they chose. A candidate competes for a slot in a particular school based on the preferences provided. Therefore, neither the residential status nor the programme of study can be changed.

Question 3

I had a grammar school, but I now feel like doing a course in TVET. can I reapply and be chosen?

Answer

Yes. You stand a chance given the availability of vacancies after the automatic placement

Question 4

Can a person change school after enrolment?

Answer

No. The Placement process ends once a candidate begins the admission process by going to the school to complete the relevant form(s). Any movement from one school to another after enrolment is considered a transfer. A student can only transfer after one academic year.

Question 5

Do I have to pay for anything when I get to school?

Answer

No, you don’t have to pay anything

Question 6

Can a candidate with good grades miss out on their first, second or all of their choices?

Answer

YES. All spaces in the schools are competitively filled taking into consideration the available spaces in the school (i.e. Preferred residential status and programme of choice). Hence, qualified candidates are ranked from the highest score to the lowest and the total vacancies declared for that programme determines the number to be placed. The rest of the candidates are moved to their next choice.

Question 7

I was enrolled in a school but my name can no longer be found on their system. What can be done?

Answer

If indeed a candidate was enrolled in a particular school but the details can no longer be found on the school’s system, the Head of the school will formally report to the appropriate office for redress. The candidate should not be sent away from the school.

Question 8

Is it possible for someone who did not choose a particular school to be placed in that school?

Answer

NO. It is not possible during the automatic placement process. However, a candidate can get placement into a school through ‘protocol’ placement procedures.

Question 9

I chose a grammar school but didn’t get the choice I wanted. Can I get admission into a TVET school

Answer

Yes. You stand a chance given the availability of vacancies after the automatic placement

Question 10

The head of the school I want my child/ward to attend says there is space in the school. Can the child be placed there on this basis?

Answer

NO. Schools have established ways of communicating with authorities. Placement is done based on the vacancies declared by the schools. Once those vacancies have been filled by the CSSPS in that school, we are unable to do any further placements in the school.

Question 11

I was selected and was placed in a school that was on my list of school choices. Can I change to another school?

Answer

NO. You cannot change to another school if the school was one of the six schools you chose.

Question 12

Is it possible for someone with aggregate 7 to get access to a particular school but someone with aggregate 10 can get into the same school?
Answer

YES. Programmes selected and residential status may differ from one candidate to the other. Therefore, the competition for slots may differ. For instance, in most cases, the Science programme of study is highly competitive over other programmes, and so is a Boarding accommodation status over a Day Status.

Question 13

A candidate with Aggregate 10 got placed on a particular Programme and residential status and yet another with Aggregate 8 did not, even though they chose the same programme and residential statuses. How is this possible?

Answer

There is a protocol system of placement that allocates 5% of a school’s declared vacancies to the school for allocation to its stakeholders. It is, therefore, possible for the ward of alumni or a staff member of the school to get admission ahead of another child seeking admission at the same school.
Other stakeholders include the Missions and the Traditional Seats of the relevant school. Talented candidates such as those good in Sports may also be considered by a school for some of its protocol slots.

Similarly, 30% of spaces in the country’s top 71 schools have been reserved for candidates from public Junior High Schools. As such, candidates from Public Basic Schools across the country compete for 30% of the space. Hence, the competition for the 60% is different from the competition for the 30% Additionally.

Question 14

Can I be enrolled on a school when I or a representative of mine is not present?

Answer

NO. For enrolment to be successful, the school will need the student’s unique ID, address and details of their parents or guardian, and phone number. Once a candidate or parent/guardian submits their forms to the school placed, the school uses the information provided on the forms to enrol the candidate. Therefore, it is not possible for a school to get all such personal information about a candidate without the candidate or a representative is present in the school.

Question 15

I missed out on all my six choices. What do I do?

Answer

Candidates who miss out on all their choices after the automatic placement system is done, still have the opportunity to select schools with vacancies available through the Self-placement process.