By Eric Elezuo

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), on Monday announced the release of the just concluded West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), noting that the conduct of the exercise, though experienced some hiccups, was a huge success.

The announcement was made by the Head of National Office (HNO), Mr Amos Josiah Dangut, while addressing members of the media at the Lagos office.

“Today, I am happy to inform you that all the processes leading to the release of results have been completed.  It is now my pleasure to announce the release of results of candidates that sat the WASSCE,” Mr Dangut said.

The exam body also noted that out the total number of candidates that sat for the exam, “the results of ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-TWO THOUSAND, EIGHTY-NINE (192,089) candidates, representing 9.75% of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, are being withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice.”

Below is the release statement in part:

A total of ONE MILLION, NINE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-THREE THOUSAND, THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIVE (1,973,365) candidates registered for the examination from twenty-three thousand, five hundred and fifty-four (23,554) recognized secondary schools in the country.  Of the number that registered for the examination ONE MILLION, NINE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-NINE THOUSAND, THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN (1,969,313) candidates   sat the examination. The examination was also administered to candidates from some schools in Benin Republic, Cote d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea, where the Nigerian, curriculum for Senior Secondary Schools is being used.

I also wish to report that a total of TWELVE THOUSAND, ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-EIGHT (12,178) candidates with varying degrees of Special Needs registered for the examination. Out of this number, ONE HUNDRED AND TWELVE (112) were visually challenged, SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN (615) had impaired hearing; FIFTY-TWO (52) were spastic cum mentally challenged and THIRTY-SEVEN (37) were physically challenged. All these candidates were adequately provided for, in the administration of the examination. The results of these candidates have been processed and are also now being released along with those of other candidates.

Of the total number of ONE MILLION, NINE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-NINE THOUSAND, THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN (1,969,313) candidates that sat the examination, NINE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SIX THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNRDED AND EIGHTY-SEVEN (976,787) were males while NINE HUNDRED AND NINETY-TWO THOUSAND, FIVE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX (992,526) were females, representing 49.60% and 50.40%, respectively.

Out of the total number of candidates that sat the examination in Nigeria, ONE MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN THOUSAND, FIVE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN (1,517,517) candidates, representing 77.06% have their results fully processed and released while FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY-ONE THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED AND NINETY-SIX (451,796) candidates, representing 22.94% have one or more of their subjects still being processed due to some issues to be resolved.  Efforts are, however, being made to speedily complete the processes to enhance the release the affected candidates’ results within a couple of days.

The analysis of statistics of candidates’ performance in the examination shows that out of the ONE MILLION, NINE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-NINE THOUSAND, THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN (1,969,313) candidates that sat the examination, ONE MILLION, SEVEN HUNDRED AND EIGTHTEEN THOUSAND AND NINETY (1,718,090) candidates, representing 87.24%, obtained credit and above in a minimum of any five (5) subjects (i.e. with or without English Language and/or Mathematics).

SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FOUR THOUSAND, FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTY-FIVE (754,545) candidates, representing 38.32%, obtained credits and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

Of this number, THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY-SEVEN THOUSAND, ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-TWO (347,192) representing 46.01% were male candidates, while FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVEN THOUSAND, THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-THREE (407,353) representing 53.99% were female candidates. A comparison of the percentage of candidates in this category in WASSCE for School 2024 and 2025, reveal that in this year’s (2025) WASSCE, there is 33.8% decrease in performance (that is, those who obtained credit and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, was 72.12%).

Examination Malpractice

The results of ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-TWO THOUSAND, EIGHTY-NINE (192,089) candidates, representing 9.75% of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, are being withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice. This is 2.17% lower than the 11.92% recorded in the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2024.
The increasing use of cell phones in the examination hall, in spite of the existing ban, and organized cheating in some schools, are other nagging issues. All the cases are being investigated and reports of the investigations will be presented to the appropriate Committee of the Council for consideration and final decisions. The Committee’s decisions will be communicated to the affected candidates through their various schools, in due course. Candidates affected by these decisions can now call for redress of their malpractice cases if they so wish via
https://waecinternational.org/complaints

The Council will continue to sanction all cases of examination malpractice as schools, supervisors, teachers and candidates perpetrating this evil are not helping the educational system.  All hands must therefore be on deck to sanitize the system.

Gentlemen of the Media, as 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 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 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.

CONCLUSION

Gentlemen of the media, the Management and entire Staff of the Council in Nigeria, wish to express our profound gratitude to the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Honourable Minister of Education, Minister of State for Education, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and the various State Governments, for providing the enabling environment for the successful conduct of WASSCE for School Candidates, 2025 in Nigeria.

We wish to also extend our gratitude to all the Supervisors, Invigilators, Custodians, Examiners, Ad-hoc personnel and Staff for their contributions towards the successful conduct of the examination and marking of scripts. Our sincere appreciation equally goes to the Chairmen and Members of the Senate and the House Committees on Education, Chairman and Members of the Nigeria Administrative and Finance Committee of WAEC, all retired staff of the Council, friends of the Council-ANCOPSS, the Nigeria Police Force, and a host of others for their assistance and cooperation before, during and after the conduct of the examination.

I thank you all, Gentlemen of the Media, for always responding to our calls and in helping WAEC to tell its story.

Finally, we give God Almighty all the glory for always being by us and for giving us the grace to carry on.

Thank you all and God bless