The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in Nigeria has released revised results for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) following the discovery of significant grading errors that initially misrepresented candidates’ performance. The announcement, made on August 8, 2025, came with an apology from WAEC for the inconvenience caused to students, parents, and educational institutions across the region. The errors, attributed to a new paper serialization system, affected the grading of key subjects, prompting a thorough review and correction process to ensure accuracy.
The 2025 WASSCE, conducted between April and June, saw a total of 1,969,313 candidates participate, including students from Nigeria and other West African countries such as the Benin Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea, which adopt Nigeria’s curriculum. The initial results, released earlier, contained inaccuracies due to the use of incorrect answer keys for grading, particularly in the English Language Objective Test (Paper 3), Mathematics, Biology, and Economics. Candidates who opted for the computer-based test format were unaffected by these issues, as their results were processed separately.
Following the revision, WAEC reported that 1,794,821 candidates, representing 91.14% of those who sat for the exam, obtained credit or above in at least five subjects, with or without English Language and Mathematics. Additionally, 1,239,884 candidates, or 62.96%, achieved credits in five subjects, including both English Language and Mathematics. This marks a notable improvement from the initially reported pass rate of 38.32% for candidates with credits in five subjects, including English and mathematics. However, the revised figure still reflects a 9.16% decline compared to the 72.12% pass rate recorded in the 2024 WASSCE. Among those who achieved credits in five subjects, including English and mathematics, 53.05% were female, while 46.95% were male, highlighting a slight gender disparity in performance.
The examination catered to a diverse group, including 12,178 candidates with special needs. As of the revised release, 1,763,470 candidates, or 89.55%, have had their results fully processed and released. However, 205,916 candidates, representing 10.45%, are still awaiting results for one or more subjects due to ongoing technical issues. Additionally, the results of 191,053 candidates, or 9.7%, have been withheld pending investigations into alleged examination malpractice. This figure represents a decrease from the 11.92% of candidates whose results were withheld in 2024 for similar reasons.
Dr. Amos Dangut, Head of WAEC Nigeria, addressed the public during a press briefing in Yaba, Lagos, expressing regret for the errors and the resulting confusion. He explained that the introduction of the new serialization system was intended to enhance efficiency but inadvertently led to the grading discrepancies. WAEC has since taken steps to rectify the issue and ensure the integrity of the results. Candidates can now access their revised results through the official WAEC portal at www.waecdirect.org. Digital certificates are available within 48 hours of the result release, while hard copies will be issued within 90 days. However, candidates sponsored by state governments with outstanding debts to WAEC will not be able to access their results until the debts are settled.
The release of the revised results has brought relief to many candidates and stakeholders, as the corrected figures provide a clearer picture of academic performance across the region. WAEC’s prompt action to address the errors and its commitment to transparency have been noted, though the incident has sparked discussions about the need for robust systems to prevent such issues in future examinations.
Comments