The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), revealing a drastic drop in candidates’ performance. Only 38.32%—equivalent to 754,545 out of the 1,969,313 candidates who sat for the exam—obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
This is a sharp decline from the 72.12% recorded in 2024, showing a 33.8% drop in performance. A total of 1,973,365 candidates registered for the examination from 23,554 recognised secondary schools across Nigeria, although 1,969,313 eventually sat for the exam. Additionally, candidates from schools using the Nigerian curriculum in Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea also participated.
During a press briefing in Lagos, Dr. Amos Dangut, Head of WAEC’s National Office, announced that the results of 192,089 candidates—representing 9.75% of the total—are being withheld due to alleged involvement in various forms of examination malpractice. Infractions included the use of mobile phones in exam halls despite an existing ban and instances of organised cheating in some schools.
“All cases are under investigation and will be reviewed by the appropriate committee of the Council. Affected candidates will be contacted through their respective schools,” Dangut stated, adding that candidates may appeal their malpractice cases if they wish.
Gender Breakdown and Special Needs Candidates
Among the 754,545 candidates who passed with credits in at least five subjects including English and Mathematics, 407,353 were female (53.99%) and 347,192 were male (46.01%).
WAEC also reported significant improvements in the administration of the exam for special needs candidates. A total of 12,178 candidates with varying disabilities took part, including:
- 112 visually impaired candidates,
- 615 hearing-impaired candidates, and
- 52 with physical or mental disabilities.
Result Access and Digital Certificates
Dr. Dangut confirmed that candidates who have fulfilled their financial obligations to WAEC can access their results on the Council’s website (www.waecdirect.org) within 12 hours of the release. Digital certificates will be made available 48 hours after result release, while hard copies of certificates will be ready within 90 days. He emphasized that results for candidates sponsored by states owing WAEC will remain inaccessible until the debts are paid.
The Smart Identity Card used during the exam contains the necessary Result Checker PIN and Serial Number needed to access results online.
Education Stakeholders React
Following the release, stakeholders including the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), and the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) expressed concern over the sharp drop in performance.
Comrade Akintoye Hassan, Chairman of the Lagos State Wing of the NUT, described the outcome as a reflection of systemic failure. He specifically criticised the handling of the English Language paper, citing reports of its leakage and WAEC’s decision to proceed with the examination at irregular hours.
“Students were forced to write the English paper at night in some cases, despite preparing for a morning exam. Some were denied food or rest, and that affected their performance,” Hassan stated.
WAEC, however, insists that its stringent anti-malpractice measures, including tighter exam monitoring and serialisation of objective papers, were necessary to restore credibility to the examination process.
Despite the low pass rate, WAEC affirmed its commitment to further digital innovation and examination reforms, including a full transition to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) by 2026.