The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced that 1,973,253 candidates are set to participate in the first-ever Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), which begins next week.
This milestone was revealed by the Head of the Nigeria National Office of WAEC, Dr. Amos Dangut, during a press conference held at the Council’s National Office in Yaba, Lagos, on Thursday.
Dr. Dangut stated that the WASSCE for School Candidates 2025 will take place nationwide from Thursday, April 24 to Friday, June 20, 2025. He assured the public that the examination results will be released 45 days after the conclusion of the exams, while certificates will be issued within 90 days.
“Digital copies of certificates will also be available through the WAEC Digital Certificate platform,” he added.
The introduction of the Computer-Based WASSCE (CB-WASSCE), according to WAEC, is aimed at enhancing exam delivery and significantly reducing incidents of malpractice.
Providing further details, Dr. Dangut disclosed that the number of registered candidates increased by over 158,000 compared to last year. This year’s enrollment includes more female candidates than males—994,025 females (50.37%) versus 979,228 males (49.63%).
“The Council has launched its inaugural Computer-Based WASSCE for School Candidates in 2025, with 1,973,253 candidates from 23,554 schools registered to take part,” he said.
The examination will span 74 subjects with a total of 196 papers and will be supervised by more than 26,000 senior secondary school teachers across the country.
In a significant shift to uphold academic integrity, Dr. Dangut revealed that candidates will receive individualized questions, ensuring that no two students will have identical question sets.
Addressing the issue of exam malpractice, he urged all candidates, schools, and supervisors to strictly comply with examination guidelines. “The Council takes a firm stance against malpractice. Each candidate has been pre-assigned specific papers for the CB-WASSCE 2025, and any deviation will have consequences,” he warned.
He also appealed to parents, educators, and school administrators to actively discourage exam malpractice, and called on media organizations to assist in spreading awareness.
“Principals and teachers must educate students about the grave consequences of examination malpractice. It is, indeed, a serious offense against the future of our youth,” he emphasized.
To support candidates in their preparation, WAEC has introduced several digital resources, including:
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WAEC E-Study Portal – offering access to past questions, marking schemes, and study plans.
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WAEC E-Learning Portal – providing performance analysis and addressing common student challenges.
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WAEC Konnect – a platform for communication and real-time updates for candidates and stakeholders.
Additionally, WAEC has compiled past question papers and Chief Examiners’ Reports for various subjects to help students understand expectations and improve their performance.
Dr. Dangut concluded with a stern warning against rogue websites posing as exam help platforms, describing them as a serious threat to the education system.
“Parents are strongly advised not to engage with these malicious operators, who are working to undermine the integrity of the examination process. WAEC will continue collaborating with the Nigerian Police Force to track and prosecute offenders,” he said.
