WAEC Releases 2025 WASSCE Results, Highlights Decline in Malpractice Cases

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has officially released the results for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates, with a significant focus on addressing the ongoing challenge of examination malpractice.

At a press conference on Monday in Lagos, Dr. Amos Dangut, Head of the Nigeria National Office for WAEC, revealed that results for 192,089 candidates—approximately 9.75% of the total candidates—were withheld due to various forms of malpractice. This figure represents a 2.17% decrease from the 11.92% recorded in the 2024 examination.

While the decline in malpractice-related cases is a positive sign, Dr. Dangut expressed concerns over the persistent use of mobile phones in exam halls and a rising trend of organized cheating in some schools. He assured the public that investigations are ongoing, and decisions regarding the affected candidates will be made by the appropriate council committee.

Once the committee completes its review, students affected by withheld results will be notified via their respective schools. Dissatisfied candidates are also encouraged to file complaints online through the WAEC International website: www.waecinternational.org/complaints.

Dr. Dangut emphasized that WAEC has a zero-tolerance policy on malpractice, stating that any involvement by schools, teachers, or students undermines the integrity of the educational system. He called on all stakeholders to work together to maintain a fair and credible examination process.

Results Access

WAEC confirmed that the results are now available on the official WAEC results website: www.waecdirect.org. Candidates can access their results within 12 hours, provided they have settled all financial obligations to the council. They will need their PIN and serial number from the smart identity cards used during the examination.

Additionally, candidates are urged to apply for their digital certificates, which will be available within 48 hours of checking results. Hard copies of certificates will be ready within 90 days.

Dr. Dangut also noted that candidates sponsored by state governments with outstanding debts would not be able to access their results until these debts are cleared. He appealed to affected state governments to settle any financial arrears to ensure their students' academic records are not delayed.

Exam Statistics

A total of 1,973,365 candidates registered for the 2025 WASSCE across 23,554 recognized secondary schools in Nigeria. Of these, 1,969,313 candidates sat for the examination. Additionally, the exam was extended to schools in the Benin Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea that use the Nigerian senior secondary school curriculum.

Notably, 12,178 candidates with special needs registered for the exam, including those with visual impairments, hearing impairments, and physical disabilities. Dr. Dangut assured that these candidates were adequately accommodated during the examination process.

Performance Analysis

The performance of candidates showed that 87.24% of those who sat for the exam obtained credit in at least five subjects, while 38.32% of candidates earned credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

In terms of gender distribution, 49.60% of male candidates (976,787) and 50.40% of female candidates (992,526) sat for the exam. Notably, a comparison with the 2024 WASSCE results revealed a 33.8% decrease in the number of students achieving five credits, including English and Mathematics, in the 2025 examination.

Looking Forward

Dr. Dangut reassured the public that WAEC continues to work on processing the results of the remaining candidates, with the aim of completing this process in the coming days. He encouraged all candidates to remain patient and assured them that WAEC is committed to providing a transparent and efficient examination system.