WAEC responds to criticism of 2026 WASSCE results

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has defended the trustworthiness of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results after criticism on social media.

In a statement released on Thursday, WAEC mentioned noticing a "recent wave of public commentary". This commentary mainly came from content creators and social media users questioning the credibility of the results.

Moyosola Adesina, who is the Head of Public Affairs at WAEC Nigeria, signed the statement on behalf of Amos Dangut, the Head of the National Office.

WAEC said it "welcomes constructive scrutiny" but urged the public to ignore unverified claims. They also encouraged people to use official channels for raising issues about their results.

The exam body did not detail the specific claims they were addressing. But there were many reports of problems with the 2026 WASSCE results after they were released on 5 August.

On X, a user, @winexviv, whose post got over 200,000 views, claimed there was a "disastrous glitch" in the new results. This was especially affecting candidates who took the computer-based tests.

He wrote: "WAEC, you can’t toy with our children’s destinies. We will not allow it. The results need to be withdrawn immediately and fixed, or we will challenge you in court."

The post prompted many other users to share similar worries. It was also widely shared by blogs, sparking broader discussions on the trustworthiness of the results.

Despite the criticism, WAEC insisted the results were produced using the same marking, moderation, and auditing processes that have guided their exams for years.

The council mentioned that the 2026 WASSCE followed its standard operating procedures and worked closely with the Federal Ministry of Education.

In the latest statement, WAEC explained that every candidate's script goes through a detailed system of marking, moderation, and auditing.

They said this process is based on standardised marking schemes and overseen by qualified subject experts to ensure fair scoring.

WAEC also noted that they have procedures for candidates and the public to raise complaints through their offices across the country and their verified online platforms.

"WAEC hereby reiterates its unwavering commitment to preserving the integrity of its assessment processes and safeguarding the interests of every candidate," they stated.

WAEC released the results on 5 August. Amos Dangut announced the results at a press conference in Lagos.

According to WAEC, 1,200,514 candidates, which is 61.54 percent of the 1,950,726 who took the exam, got credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

A total of 1,687,378 candidates, or 86.50 percent, received credits in at least five subjects, regardless of English Language and Mathematics.

Of those with at least five credits, 558,883 candidates, or 28.65 percent, were male. Meanwhile, 641,631 candidates, or 32.89 percent, were female.

The exam took place from 24 April to 19 June. WAEC reported that 1,959,668 candidates from 24,207 schools registered for the exam, but only 1,950,726 sat for it.

WAEC stated that they fully processed and released the results for 1,834,695 candidates, which is 94.05 percent of those who sat the exam.

The results for 116,031 candidates, or 5.95 percent, are still being processed due to issues that WAEC is working to resolve.

Mr. Dangut said they are working to complete the process and release the results for those affected.

WAEC also withheld results for 167,486 candidates, which is 8.59 percent of the total, due to alleged exam malpractice.

Mr. Dangut linked many of these malpractice cases to the increasing use of mobile phones in exam halls and organized cheating in some schools.

He said they are looking into these cases and will present findings to the appropriate council committee for a final decision.

He added that candidates affected will be informed through their schools and can appeal through WAEC’s malpractice complaints platform.