The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has published the provisional results for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for Private Candidates, Second Series, while withholding hundreds of results due to suspected examination malpractice.
In a press release dated February 26, 2026, the Council reported that a total of 41,767 candidates participated in the examination.
This number includes 20,036 males and 24,501 females, as well as 16 candidates with visual impairments and seven candidates with hearing impairments. WAEC also revealed that 2,422 registered candidates were absent.
Nevertheless, the Council has withheld the complete results of 348 candidates and the subject results of 469 others while investigations into alleged violations of examination regulations are ongoing.
The cited offences include collusion, impersonation, possession of unauthorised materials in examination halls, and seeking external assistance.
“The withheld results of candidates will be released or cancelled based on the outcome of investigations into their cases,” the statement said.
WAEC has indicated that affected candidates can verify the status of their results on the Council’s irregularities portal, where details of the alleged infractions and the necessary procedures have been provided.
An analysis of performance in the four core subjects shows varied outcomes.
In English Language, 67.43 per cent of candidates achieved grades A1 to C6, while 11.04 per cent received F9.
For Core Mathematics, 49.84 per cent passed, whereas 27.69 per cent failed.
Integrated Science demonstrated relatively weaker performance, with 35.00 per cent passing and 32.00 per cent failing.
Social Studies demonstrated the most impressive performance, with 81.21 per cent of candidates achieving grades A1 to C6, whereas 10.42 per cent did not pass.
WAEC also warned the public to stay alert against fraudsters who exploit the results period to take advantage of candidates.
“The Council wishes to caution members of the public to be wary of scammers who contact candidates and promise to upgrade their results for a fee payable through mobile money transfers,” the statement said.
The Council stressed that its results database is secure and that all results can be verified through official channels.
Candidates can access their results online via the WAEC website, and educational institutions have been advised to use the Council’s verification system to confirm the authenticity of the certificates they receive.
