The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced the release of the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results for school candidates, while expressing deep concern over the continued prevalence of examination malpractice across schools.
At a press briefing in Lagos on Monday, Dr Amos Dangut, Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, revealed that results for 192,089 candidates, accounting for 9.75 per cent of the total, were withheld over alleged involvement in various forms of malpractice.
Although this marks a slight improvement from the 11.92 per cent recorded in 2024, WAEC said the persistent misuse of mobile phones and rising cases of organised cheating in some schools remain alarming.
“Despite the decline, we are troubled by the increasing use of mobile devices in examination halls and evidence of coordinated cheating in certain institutions,” Dangut said.
He added that investigations were ongoing, and final decisions would be taken by the council’s relevant committee. Affected candidates would be notified through their schools in due course.
Candidates dissatisfied with their results or wishing to lodge complaints may do so online via https://waecinternational.org/complaints.
Accessing Results and Digital Certificates
Dr Dangut confirmed that results are currently being uploaded to WAEC’s official results portal — www.waecdirect.org — and will be fully accessible within 12 hours.
Candidates who have fulfilled all financial obligations can access their results using the PIN and serial number on their examination smart identity cards.
“We encourage all candidates to apply for their digital certificates, which will be available within 48 hours of result confirmation. Printed certificates will be ready within 90 days,” he said.
However, candidates sponsored by state governments with outstanding debts to WAEC will be unable to view their results until full payment is made. Dangut appealed to the affected state governments to urgently settle their dues to avoid jeopardising students’ academic futures.
Overview of Participation and Special Needs Support
A total of 1,973,365 candidates registered for the exam from 23,554 accredited secondary schools across Nigeria, while 1,969,313 candidates eventually sat the examination. WAEC also administered the exams in Nigerian-curriculum schools in the Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea.
WAEC reaffirmed its commitment to inclusion, noting that 12,178 candidates with special needs registered, including:
112 visually impaired,
615 with hearing impairments,
52 with cognitive challenges,
37 with physical disabilities.
“All these candidates were adequately accommodated to ensure equitable participation,” Dangut noted.
Performance Statistics and Gender Breakdown
According to WAEC, 1,517,517 candidates (77.06 per cent) had their results fully processed and released, while 451,796 candidates (22.94 per cent) had one or more subjects pending due to technical or administrative issues. The council assured that these would be resolved promptly.
Of the total candidates:
976,787 were male (49.60 per cent)
992,526 were female (50.40 per cent)
In terms of academic performance:
1,718,090 candidates (87.24 per cent) obtained credits and above in at least five subjects, regardless of subject combination.
Only 754,545 candidates (38.32 per cent) earned credits and above in a minimum of five subjects including English Language and Mathematics — a key benchmark for university admission in Nigeria.
This performance marks a significant 33.8 per cent decline from the corresponding achievement rate in the 2024 WASSCE cycle.
Zero Tolerance for Exam Malpractice
WAEC reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on examination malpractice. Dr Dangut said the involvement of some schools, teachers, and even supervisors in aiding malpractice was particularly concerning and constituted a disservice to the nation’s education system.
“All stakeholders — educators, school owners, parents and candidates — must take collective responsibility in sanitising the examination process,” he said.
