How to Calculate Cut Off Points for Universities in Ghana
Maybe you’ve been wondering how to calculate your cut off points for university admissions. You’re at the right place. In this guide, you’ll learn how to calculate cut off points for all universities in Ghana.
As a policy, tertiary institutions in Ghana use the cut off points to offer candidates admission into various programmes. Most of these universities adopt the WAEC grading system in offering applicants admission.
The cut-off point is calculated based on the grade scored by a student in the West African Examination Council (WAEC). Different grades are assigned a numerical value which students can use to calculate their cut off point.
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What is a Cut Off Point?
A cut off point is a system adopted by tertiary institutions to grade students into the various programme of study. Different universities have their own specific cut off points for specific courses. That is to say, a cut off point for biochemistry differs from that of veterinary medicine in the same institution.
A student that scores an aggregate cut off point of 24 or lower can apply to any university in the country. However, there are some specific courses that require lower aggregate cut off point.
To calculate your cut off point aggregate, you need to understand the WAEC grading system.
WASSCE Grading System & Interception
| GRADE | NUMERIC VALUE | INTERPRETATION |
| A1 | 1 | EXCELLENT |
| B2 | 2 | VERY GOOD |
| B3 | 3 | GOOD |
| C4 | 4 | CREDIT |
| C5 | 5 | CREDIT |
| C6 | 6 | CREDIT |
| D7 | 7 | PASS |
| E8 | 8 | PASS |
| F9 | 9 | FAIL |
WAEC Grading and Interpretation in Percentage
| Grade | Definition | Interpretation in Percentage |
| A1 | Excellent | 80 – 100 |
| B2 | Very Good | 70 – 79 |
| B3 | Good | 65 – 69 |
| C4 | Credit | 60 – 64 |
| C5 | Credit | 55 – 59 |
| C6 | Credit | 50 – 54 |
| D7 | Pass | 49 – 45 |
| E8 | Pass | 40 – 44 |
| F9 | Fail | 0 – 39 |
Universities Admission Requirements in Ghana
Before a student is offered admission into the university, he/she must, first of all, meet the minimum admission requirements for a specific programme of choice. Admission requirements for science-related courses are quite different for that of non-science related courses.
For instance, an applicant for admission to a degree programme must have at least credits (A1 – C6 in WASSCE and A – D in SSSCE) in English, Core Mathematics and Integrated Science (for Science related programmes) or Social Studies (for non-Science related programmes) and three elective subjects in Science for applicants applying to Science or Agriculture related disciplines or three elective subjects in General Arts/Business for applicants applying to non-Science related disciplines, with the total aggregate not exceeding 24.
In addition, Science applicants should have at least a grade C6 in WASSCE/D in SSSCE in Social Studies/Life Skills and non-Science applicants should also have at least a grade C6 in WASSCE/D IN SSSCE in Integrated Science/Core Science.
Example:
For Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, an applicant must have credit passes in Core subjects which include English, Core Mathematics, Integrated Science.
In addition, an applicant must also have credit passes in Chemistry and any two from Physics, Biology and Elective Mathematics.
Having said that, the better the grades of applicants in the core courses, the greater their chances of getting admitted. For instance, an applicant might have 6 As in elective subjects and 2 Bs in core subjects and not be offered admission. On the other hand, an applicant who scores 5 As may be way ahead of those who score 7 As, depending on the subject combination.
How to Calculate Cut Off Points for All Universities in Ghana
Universities use the WAEC grading system and grade students based on their performance on their best six subjects from the core and elective subjects while ensuring that they pass English and Mathematics.
Having said that, let us look at the possible ways of calculating cut off points for university admission in Ghana. In this guide, we’ll be looking at some possible examples of how to calculate cut off points using the WAEC grading system.
Example 1.
An applicant for a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery has the following grades:
- English language (A1) – 1
- Core Mathematics (A1) – 1
- Integrated Science (B3) – 3
Social Studies (C5) – 5- Chemistry (A1) – 1
- Physics (A2) – 2
- Biology (A1) – 2
Elective Mathematics (B2) – 2
According to the WAEC grading system, each grade has a numerical value, and we’ll be using the values to calculate the aggregate cut-off points.
Using the admission requirements, we’ll be calculating the best six (6) subjects. Going with that, the aggregate cut-off point will be 10 excluding Social Studies and Elective Mathematics.
Example 2.
Another applicant for a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery has the following grades:
- English language (A1) – 1
- Core Mathematics (A1) – 1
- Integrated Science (A1) – 1
Social Studies (C6) – 6- Chemistry (A1) – 1
- Physics (B2) – 2
- Biology (B2) – 2
Elective Mathematics (B2) – 2
Using the best six (6) subjects, the aggregate cut-off point will be 8, excluding Social Studies and Elective Mathematics.
Furthermore, a candidate who scores 7 As and scores only one B3 in English or Core Mathematics will have an aggregate of eight (8) for his best six (6) subjects.
The one who scores five As (5 As) and three B 2s (3 B2s) in the remaining subjects, depending on his performance in English and Mathematics, can have an aggregate of seven and by WAEC standards, has performed better than the one with 7 As. As such, the candidate with 5 As and three B2s might be offered admission ahead of the one with 7 As and one B3.
Also, the applicant with 5 As and 3 Bs is admitted as a regular, non-fee-paying student and the one with 7 As and a B if admitted becomes a fee-paying student for the same course.
