WAEC pass rate drops by 2.26%

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, with 1,200,514 candidates obtaining credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

Announcing the results in Lagos, the Head of WAEC Nigeria, Dr. Josiah Dangut, said the successful candidates represented 61.54 percent of the 1,950,726 candidates who sat for the examination. The performance marks a slight decline from the 2025 WASSCE, when 1,239,884 candidates, representing 62.96 percent, achieved the same benchmark.

Dangut disclosed that the results of 1,834,695 candidates, representing 94.05 percent, had been processed and released, while those of 116,031 candidates, representing 5.95 percent, were still being processed.

He also said 1,213 candidates with special needs registered for the examination, including 137 visually impaired candidates, 491 with hearing impairments, 55 spastic and mentally challenged candidates, and 41 physically challenged candidates.

The council withheld the results of 167,486 candidates, representing 8.59 percent of those who sat the examination, over alleged examination malpractice. Although the figure remains significant, Dangut noted it was lower than the 9.7 percent recorded in 2025.

Explaining the reasons for the withheld results, Dangut said: “The increasing use of cell phones in the examination hall, in spite of the existing ban, and organised cheating in some schools are other nagging issues.”

He added that the council had also arrested some supervisors and invigilators who allegedly aided examination malpractice and said they would face disciplinary action through the relevant state ministries of education.