2025 WASSCE: 27% fail core maths and social studies
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has confirmed a major national education concern following the release of the provisional WASSCE 2025 results, which show a sharp rise in outright failures (Grade F9) across all four core subjects compared to 2024.
Official data indicates that the percentage of candidates who failed Core Mathematics has nearly quadrupled, increasing from 6.10% in 2024 to a troubling 26.77% in 2025.
Social Studies recorded a similar decline, with the failure rate almost tripling from 9.55% in 2024 to 27.50% in 2025.
The dramatic surge in F9 grades points to a significant drop in foundational learning among the 461,736 candidates who took the examination.
Core subjects, which are critical for entry into tertiary institutions, recorded the steepest declines.
In Core Mathematics, the failure rate rose by 20.67 percentage points, meaning nearly one in four candidates failed the subject outright.
Social Studies also saw a severe increase, jumping by 188% compared to the previous year.
The provisional results, released on November 29, 2025, were further overshadowed by an unprecedented crackdown on examination malpractice.
The Ghana Examinations Committee imposed strict sanctions on thousands of candidates and several educational personnel.
A total of 6,295 candidates had their subject results cancelled for bringing unauthorized materials into the examination hall, while 653 candidates had their entire results annulled for possessing mobile phones during the exam.
Additionally, the subject results of 908 candidates and the full results of 158 others have been withheld pending investigations. WAEC has also withheld the results of candidates from 185 schools over alleged collusion.
Furthermore, 35 individuals, including 19 teachers, were found to have compromised the integrity of the exam process and now face legal and disciplinary action.
Nineteen of them have already been prosecuted and handed fines or prison sentences.
Even the core literacy and science subjects recorded a significant jump in failure rates.
The F9 rate for Integrated Science rose from 7.12% in 2024 to 16.05% in 2025, while the percentage of candidates who failed English Language more than doubled, increasing from 5.88% to 12.86%.
| Core Subject | 2024 F9 Percentage | 2025 F9 Percentage |
| Mathematics (Core) | 6.10% | 26.77% |
| Social Studies | 9.55% | 27.50% |
| Integrated Science | 7.12% | 16.05% |
| English Language | 5.88% | 12.86% |