The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the provisional results of the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for school candidates, with hundreds of candidates sanctioned over examination malpractice.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, July 29, WAEC said the results have been dispatched to schools through Metropolitan, Municipal and District Directors of Education, while candidates can also access them online through the Council’s official results portal.
A total of 620,243 candidates, comprising 304,415 males and 315,828 females, from 20,789 schools sat for this year’s examination at 2,237 centres nationwide. WAEC said 3,601 registered candidates were absent.
The Council also made special arrangements for candidates with special educational needs, including 136 visually impaired, 282 hearing-impaired, and 510 other candidates requiring additional support.
As part of measures to protect the integrity of the examination, WAEC’s 37th Meeting of the Final Awards and Examiners’ Appointment Committee approved sanctions against candidates found guilty of examination irregularities.
According to the Council, the subject results of 496 candidates have been cancelled, while the entire results of 105 candidates have also been cancelled for various offences.
In addition, the subject results of 119 candidates and the entire results of 48 candidates have been withheld pending the outcome of investigations.
WAEC further disclosed that the subject results of 2,722 candidates from 229 schools have been withheld for further scrutiny. Investigations are expected to be completed by August 31, 2026, after which the affected results will either be released or cancelled, depending on the findings.
The Council advised affected candidates to visit its irregularities portal or use the withheld/cancelled results link on its homepage to check the status of their results, while school heads can access the information through their official portals.
WAEC also cautioned the public against fraudsters claiming they can alter or upgrade examination results for a fee, stressing that its results are secure, tamper-proof and fully verifiable.
