The West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, results have been released, and the figures are in. Out of the 1,969,313 candidates who sat for the examination, only 754,545 candidates, representing 38.32%, obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
In the 2024 WASSCE, 72.12% of candidates obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. This year’s results showed a significant decline in performance, with only 38.32% of candidates achieving the same feat.
Meanwhile, a total of 1,973,365 candidates from 23,554 recognised secondary schools across Nigeria registered for the major examination. Out of these, 1,969,313 candidates actually sat for the examination. Notably, the examination was not limited to Nigeria, as candidates from schools in the Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea, where the Nigerian curriculum is used, also participated.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos on Monday, the Head of Nigeria National Office, West African Examinations Council, WAEC, Dr Amos Dangut, stated that the Council withheld the results of 192,089 candidates, representing 9.75% of the total number of candidates who sat for the WASSCE for various cases of examination malpractice.
Dangut explained that in comparison with the previous year’s results, there was a 33.8% decrease in performance. In the 2024 WASSCE, 72.12% of candidates obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. This year’s results showed a significant decline in performance, with only 38.32% of candidates achieving the same feat.
A breakdown of the results showed that out of the 1,969,313 candidates, only 754,545, representing 38.32% had credits in five subjects and above including English Language and Mathematics.
Out of the figure, 347,192 (46.01%) were male candidates, while 407,353 (53.99%) were female candidates.
WAEC withholds 192,089 candidates’ results over examination malpractice
Also, the results of 192,089 candidates, representing 9.75% of the total number of candidates who sat for the examination were withheld due to various reported cases of examination malpractice.
According to Dangut, the results were withheld due to: Increased use of cell phones in the examination hall despite the existing ban; and organised cheating in some schools, among others.
According to him: “All cases are being investigated and reports will be presented to the appropriate Committee of the Council for consideration and final decisions; Affected candidates will be communicated through their various schools; and candidates can now call for redress of their malpractice cases if they so wish.
Commenting on the stance of the body on examination malpractice, Dangut stated: “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. “
Candidates are to access processed results within 12 hours
The WAEC boss also told journalists that: “WASSCE for School Candidates 2025 results are being uploaded on the results website. Candidates should, after checking the result online, apply for their Digital certificate, which will be released forty-eight (48) hours thereafter. Candidates who have fulfilled their financial obligations to the Council can access their results on the Council’s results website: www.waecdirect.org, within the next twelve hours. Copies of the Result Listing will be sent to schools shortly.
“I need not restate the fact that the results of candidates who are sponsored by states indebted to the Council will not be released now until payment is made. We appeal to the concerned to do the needful to enable the affected schools/candidates to access their results.
“The Result Checker PIN and Serial Number required by candidates to check their results online are contained on the Candidate’s Smart Identity Card issued and used during the conduct of the examination. Hard copies of certificates of candidates whose results have been fully processed and released will be ready within the next 90 days, counting from today.
Improvement in the conduct of WASSCE for special needs candidates
Dangut also highlighted significant improvements in the conduct of WASSCE for special needs candidates.
According to him:” A significant highlight of the examination is the participation of candidates with special needs. A total of 12,178 candidates with varying degrees of special needs registered for the examination. This includes: Visually Challenged, 112 candidates who are blind or have visual impairments; Hearing Impaired: 615 candidates who are deaf or hard of hearing; and Spastic cum Mentally Challenged: 52 candidates with physical and intellectual disabilities,” he stated.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the education sector have reacted to the poor performance of candidates in the examination.
They included the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS and the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria, NAPTAN.
It shows system failure – NUT
The Chairman of the Lagos State Wing of the NUT, Comrade Akintoye Hassan, noted that the development boils down to system failure.
“Let us first take a look at the conditions under which some of the candidates sat for some of the papers, especially the English Language paper. The Council said it discovered that the paper leaked and instead of cancelling it, went ahead to let students write it at odd hours. The students who had conditioned their minds to write the paper in the morning were delayed till evening and even night in some cases. They were not allowed to go out. Maybe some of them did not eat even then.
“When the paper was to be written finally, in most cases, the students did so using phone torchlight and other embarrassing sources of light because most of the schools have no power supply. Does it mean schools don’t deserve to be provided with electricity even if they are not residential? Is electricity not one of the things to aid learning?
“Our challenge is not what we are experiencing now, but what we ought to have done in the past that we have failed to do. Now, some people would want to heap the whole blame on the teachers. Apart from the above, which can not be the sole factor for the development, many other factors are also responsible.
“Our young ones, too, don’t take the issue of education seriously. When they see those who go to school and are certified doing menial jobs to eke out a living. Some students only want to be literate and forget about one big certificate,” he stated.
Papers written under terrible conditions – NANS
The National Public Relations Officer of NANS, Comrade Adeyemi Samson Ajasa, opined that the conditions under which the candidates wrote some papers, especially English, were terrible.
“What do you expect? The conduct of the exam in some instances left much to be desired. Look at the day they wrote the English Language paper, it was horrific. Candidates were drained emotionally and were tired. But a lot of other factors also contributed. The technical hitches in the exam were what some candidates also experienced during the UTME.
There is a need to take a holistic look at the education sector and redress the situation. Teachers must be motivated. More of them should be employed and trained to impart the needed knowledge to the students. Also, what about the facilities in our schools? We are pleading with the government to please pay priority attention to the education sector,* he said.
Many factors were responsible – NAPTAN
The National President of NAPTAN, Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, opined that a combination of factors was responsible for the abysmal performance.
“One may say the level of examination malpractice has gone down. But that is just one of the factors. Do we have the teachers who can deliver what is needed in the required number? Many states have refused to engage new teachers to fill vacancies. Also, some parents cannot afford to buy the necessary textbooks for the wards and children. The prices have gone out of reach.
“We also need to equip our schools properly. Teachers’ welfare is also critical. When a teacher is thinking of what to eat and how to meet basic needs, how can he give the best to the students? Parents also have to take more interest in the education of their children,” he said.
