“Affected candidates will be communicated through their various schools; and candidates can now call for redress of their malpractice cases if they so wish.”
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results, revealing a sharp decline in candidate performance.
Just 38.32% of the 1,969,313 candidates who sat for the exam secured credits in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. This marks a staggering 33.8% decline compared to 2024, when over 72% achieved the same benchmark.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, Dr. Amos Dangut, Head of the Nigeria National Office, attributed the result to a variety of issues, including increased cases of malpractice. “The Council will continue to sanction all cases of examination malpractice. Schools, supervisors, teachers, and candidates perpetrating this evil are not helping the educational system. WAEC is calling for all hands to be on deck to sanitise the system.”
In all, WAEC withheld the results of 192,089 candidates, 9.75% of those who took the exams citing widespread use of cell phones and organised cheating. “All cases are being investigated and reports will be presented to the appropriate Committee of the Council for consideration and final decisions,” Dangut said.
WAEC also reported improvements in the inclusion of special needs candidates, with 12,178 candidates participating. Those who have fulfilled their obligations can now access their results online within 12 hours and apply for digital certificates, with hard copies due in 90 days.