The West African Examinations Council, WAEC, has announced that only 38.32% of candidates who sat for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination obtained five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, a significant decline from 72.12% in 2024.
At a press briefing on Monday in Lagos, WAEC’s Head of National Office, Dr. Amos Dangut, said the sharp drop in performance was largely due to the introduction of stricter examination reforms aimed at curbing widespread malpractice.
Among the reforms was the serialisation of question papers in key subjects such as Mathematics, English Language, Biology, and Economics. This made it more difficult for candidates to rely on collusion or pre-arranged answers.
Dangut noted that while the essay components of the exams showed stable performance, candidates struggled significantly in the objective sections—suggesting that many had previously depended on illicit assistance rather than genuine preparation.
He said the new security measures exposed a worrying reliance on malpractice and stressed the need for better student engagement and school-based learning.
Of the 1,969,313 candidates who registered for the 2025 examination, only 754,545 achieved the minimum benchmark of five credits, including English and Maths. About 1,517,517 results (77.06%) have been fully processed and released, while 451,796 results (22.94%) are still being finalised due to delays in data uploads from schools and examination centres.
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In addition, WAEC revealed that the results of 192,089 candidates—amounting to 9.75% of the total—were withheld over allegations of examination malpractice. The cases are under investigation, and WAEC says disciplinary action will follow.
The Council added that the slight drop in malpractice cases compared to 2024 was a positive sign, but that some candidates continued to rely on fraudulent online platforms offering fake WAEC solutions. Several arrests have reportedly been made.
WAEC also warned that it would not release the results of candidates sponsored by state governments that have not yet paid their exam fees. This policy has been enforced in previous years and continues in 2025, meaning thousands of candidates may not have immediate access to their results.
The Council acknowledged the contributions of special needs students, with 12,178 registered for the 2025 exam, including visually and hearing-impaired candidates. Accommodations were made for these students, who were allowed to take the same exams under modified conditions.
The 2025 exam also marked a pilot transition toward digital examinations, as WAEC began experimenting with computer-based testing (CBT). Some candidates participated in select CBT subjects, with full implementation expected by 2026. WAEC said this move is aimed at reducing logistical delays and increasing transparency.
Candidates who took the 2025 WASSCE can now check their results online at www.waecdirect.org using their smart identity cards.
Punch Newspaper
