The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has officially released the results of the 2025 May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), following a press briefing held at its national office in Yaba, Lagos, on Monday.

This year’s school-based exam, which spanned eight weeks and a day, was fraught with controversy—particularly concerning the English Language paper. Several candidates were reportedly forced to sit for the exam late at night due to significant delays, prompting public calls for the paper's cancellation.

Out of the 1,969,313 students who participated in the exam, only 754,545—representing 38.32%—secured credits or higher in five core subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. This marks a steep decline of 33.8% from the previous year’s 72.12% pass rate, making it the poorest performance recorded in recent WAEC history.

Among the total candidates, 976,787 were male (49.60%), while 992,526 were female (50.40%), indicating slightly higher female participation.

WAEC further noted that results for candidates whose examination fees were paid by state governments but remain unsettled will be withheld until those governments fulfill their financial obligations.

Candidates can start accessing their results online within the next 12 hours and may also download digital versions of their certificates via WAEC’s official website. Printed certificates will be distributed to respective schools at a later date.

According to Dr. Amos Dangut, Head of WAEC Nigeria, results for 192,089 candidates (9.75% of the total) are being withheld due to various instances of examination malpractice. These cases are currently under review and may result in either the release or cancellation of the affected results. This year’s malpractice figure reflects a drop of 2.17% compared to last year’s 11.92%, a reduction largely credited to the adoption of Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for certain subjects such as English, Mathematics, Biology, and Economics.

Dr. Dangut also highlighted the rising costs associated with conducting WAEC exams for both school and private candidates. He attributed the increase to inflation, high fuel prices, and elevated costs of essential materials.

While expressing concern over the alarming drop in overall performance, Dr. Dangut pointed to the increasing trend of exam malpractice. He emphasized that many students now neglect proper preparation, relying instead on fake “expo” materials and illicit activities by rogue websites and social media platforms that leak question papers shortly after the exams begin. He condemned the use of mobile phones in exam halls despite an existing ban.

WAEC, he stressed, remains committed to imposing strict sanctions on all malpractice cases, whether involving candidates, schools, invigilators, or supervisors, in order to uphold the integrity of its examinations.

On a brighter note, WAEC confirmed the release of results for all 12,178 candidates with special needs. This group includes 112 visually impaired, 615 hearing impaired, 37 physically challenged, and 52 others with different conditions.

Dr. Dangut encouraged candidates to check their results on www.waecdirect.org and access their digital certificates via www.waec.org using the Smart Identity Cards issued during the examination. The digital certificates can also be shared online and verified by any institution or organization through the same platform.

He concluded by appreciating the support of key stakeholders, including the Federal Government, security agencies, and examination personnel, for their cooperation in successfully conducting the 2025 WASSCE.