The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has dismissed widespread claims that technical glitches and Computer-Based Testing (CBT) failures compromised candidate performance in the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). The examination body attributed unexpected drops in student grades to newly introduced anti-cheating measures.
Speaking at a virtual dialogue organised by the Education Writers' Association of Nigeria (EWAN), the Head of National Office for WAEC Nigeria, Dr. Amos Josiah Dangut, defended the integrity of the council's marking, processing, and moderation systems. He explained that technological innovations, including question randomisation and serialisation, effectively curbed illegal assistance during the examination.
"The reforms introduced by WAEC have strengthened the examination process, reduced opportunities for malpractice, and enhanced the credibility, transparency, and integrity of WASSCE results," Dangut said during the briefing.
According to WAEC, candidate involvement in examination malpractice dropped from 9.97 per cent in 2025 to 8.59 per cent in 2026. Dangut noted that institutions that saw significant drops in performance were primarily those that had previously relied on widespread cheating networks.
"Because many people who have been used to thriving well, doing well in an environment that allows growth of malpractice will not have that opportunity again," Dangut added.
The statement comes amid sharp backlash from educators, parents, and school administrators following the release of the 2026 WASSCE results. Stakeholders pointed out severe grade drops across reputable schools, citing technical glitches, internet instability, and insufficient equipment like calculators during the CBT rollout. Fatola Samson, principal of Babcock University High School in Ogun State, disclosed that only 27 out of 190 candidates obtained satisfactory results, marking the institution's worst academic outcome in its 31-year history.
Despite growing calls from school proprietors for an independent external audit, WAEC rejected demands for a general review of the examination outcomes. The council advised aggrieved candidates and institutions to submit formal applications for individual script remarking through official channels.
