The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, revealing a significant decline in performance and widespread examination malpractice.
At a press briefing on Monday, WAEC’s Head of National Office (HNO), Dr. Amos Dangut, announced that only 38.32% of candidates obtained credit passes in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. This marks a sharp 33.8% decrease compared to the 72.12% recorded in 2024.
“This year’s results show a worrying trend,” Dr. Dangut stated. “There has been a substantial drop in the percentage of candidates who met the basic credit benchmark.”
A total of 1,973,365 candidates registered for the examination across 23,554 recognised secondary schools in Nigeria and abroad, including Nigerian-curriculum-based schools in Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea. Of these, 1,969,313 candidates sat for the exams.
Malpractice Cases and Withheld Results
WAEC disclosed that the results of 192,089 candidates—9.75% of examinees—have been withheld due to alleged involvement in various forms of examination malpractice. While still alarming, this represents a slight improvement from the 11.92% withheld in 2024.
To curb malpractice, WAEC implemented enhanced security measures, including serialisation of objective test question papers in core subjects such as Mathematics, English Language, Biology, and Economics. Despite these efforts, the Council expressed concern about the persistent use of mobile phones in exam halls and the rising influence of organised cheating syndicates in some schools.
Investigations are ongoing, and a dedicated committee will determine the fate of affected candidates. WAEC has also warned of sanctions against schools, supervisors, and teachers found complicit in examination fraud.
Access to Results and Debt Restrictions
Dr. Dangut confirmed that results are being uploaded to the WAEC results portal—www.waecdirect.org—and will be accessible within 12 hours for candidates who have cleared all financial obligations.
However, students sponsored by state governments with outstanding debts to the Council will not be able to access their results until those debts are settled. WAEC urged defaulting states to fulfill their financial commitments to avoid penalizing candidates.
Support for Special Needs Candidates
WAEC reported that 12,178 special needs candidates sat for the examination, including 112 visually impaired, 615 with hearing impairment, 52 with mental challenges, and 37 with physical disabilities. Their results have been processed and released alongside other candidates’.
Gender and Processing Breakdown
Of the total examinees:
- 976,787 were male (49.60%)
- 992,526 were female (50.40%)
WAEC said 1,517,517 candidates (77.06%) had their results fully processed and released, while 451,796 (22.94%) had one or more subjects still being processed due to errors or other issues.
Performance Summary:
- 87.24% (1,718,090 candidates) obtained credit and above in five subjects excluding English Language and Mathematics.
- 38.32% (754,545 candidates) obtained credit passes in five subjects including English Language and Mathematics.
- Of these, 407,353 were female (53.99%), and 347,192 were male (46.01%).
Digital Certificates and Next Steps
WAEC encouraged candidates to apply for digital certificates, available 48 hours after results are checked online. Physical certificates will be issued within 90 days from the result announcement date.
As stakeholders reflect on the implications of the 2025 WASSCE outcome, WAEC reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of its examinations and called on schools, parents, and education authorities to collaborate in combating academic dishonesty.