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The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has officially released the results of the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates.
However, the outcome reflects a troubling decline in students’ performance, particularly in core subjects like English Language and Mathematics.
Speaking during a press briefing held on Monday in Lagos, Mr. Amos Dangut, Head of the Nigeria National Office (HNO) of WAEC, disclosed that only 754,545 candidates, representing 38.32% of the total candidates, obtained credit passes in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. This marks a significant drop from the 72.12% recorded in 2024, indicating a 33.8% decrease in performance within one year.
Mr. Dangut revealed that a total of 1,969,313 candidates participated in the examination across Nigeria. Among them, 976,787 were male (49.60%) and 992,526 were female (50.40%). While 1,517,517 candidates—about 77.06%—had their results fully processed and released, the results of 451,796 candidates (22.94%) are still being processed due to certain technical or administrative issues. The Council assured that efforts are ongoing to conclude the processing and release the pending results within a few days.
According to the analysis presented by WAEC, a total of 1,718,090 candidates, representing 87.24%, obtained credit and above in at least five subjects—but not necessarily including English Language or Mathematics. However, when both English and Mathematics are factored in, only 38.32% of candidates met the standard qualification benchmark for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
To qualify for admission into any Nigerian university, polytechnic, or college of education, candidates must obtain credit-level passes in five relevant subjects, which must include English Language and Mathematics, according to existing educational policy.
Further disaggregation of the results shows that of the 754,545 candidates who met this requirement, 407,353 (53.99%) were female, while 347,192 (46.01%) were male.
Exam Conduct, Malpractice, and Withheld Results
The 2025 WASSCE was conducted using a hybrid method—Computer-Based Testing (CBT) alongside the traditional pen-on-paper format. This approach, according to Mr. Dangut, was introduced to enhance the credibility of the exams and reduce instances of malpractice. He added that some results were withheld due to alleged involvement in exam misconduct. However, candidates whose results were withheld have the legal right to challenge such decisions in court if they believe they were wrongly accused.
WAEC has advised all candidates who have met their financial obligations to the Council to check their results online via the Council’s official results portal: www.waecdirect.org. The results will be accessible within twelve hours of the announcement. In addition, candidates are encouraged to apply for their WAEC Digital Certificates, which will be made available within 48 hours of result access.
Mr. Dangut issued a stern reminder that the results of candidates sponsored by state governments that are still owing the Council will not be released until full payment is made. He called on the affected states to urgently settle their debts to ensure their students are not unduly denied access to their academic records.
The 2025 WASSCE results paint a sobering picture of academic performance in Nigeria’s secondary education system, particularly in core literacy and numeracy competencies. As stakeholders reflect on the implications, urgent intervention may be required from governments, school administrators, and parents to address the root causes of this decline and improve learning outcomes for future examinations.