WAEC 2025: Pass Rate Drops as WASSCE Results Released

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) announced on Monday that the results for the 2025 May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) have been released, highlighting a notable decrease in overall candidate performance compared to earlier years.

During a press conference at the WAEC national headquarters in Yaba, Lagos, Dr. Amos Dangut, the Head of the National Office, revealed that only 754,545 out of 1,969,313 candidates who took the exam achieved credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. This equates to 38.32% of all candidates, representing a drop of 33.8% from the 72.12% recorded in 2024.

“The analysis of the results indicates a reduced percentage of candidates meeting the minimum qualifications for university admission,” commented Dangut. He attributed this decline in performance to several factors, including inadequate preparation and an increasing dependence on examination malpractice.

WAEC reported that out of the candidates, 976,787 were male, whereas 992,526 were female. The exam was conducted over eight weeks and one day, with interruptions reported, including complaints about candidates having to write some papers—particularly English Language—late at night due to delays.

By WAEC policy, results for candidates whose examination fees have been paid by state governments but are still outstanding will be withheld until payment is completed. “The results of these candidates will not be available until the respective state governments meet their financial obligations,” stated Dr. Dangut.

He further announced that candidates can begin checking their results online within 12 hours through the council’s official website, and that digital certificates are ready for download. Physical copies will be sent to the respective schools at a later date.

WAEC indicated that 192,089 results—representing 9.75% of total entries—are currently withheld due to allegations of examination malpractice. These cases, which are still under investigation, involve various infractions, such as the smuggling of mobile phones into examination halls and the sharing of leaked question papers on social media.

Dr. Dangut mentioned that the malpractice rate has shown a slight improvement from the previous year’s 11.92%, a change he connected to the implementation of Computer-Based Testing (CBT) in crucial subjects such as English Language, Mathematics, Biology, and Economics.

He expressed worry over the growing impact of online platforms in promoting examination fraud. “Students are now depending on so-called ‘expo’ from unscrupulous websites and social media, many of which only mislead them or provide outdated materials,” he stated.

He also pointed out that the cost of conducting examinations has escalated due to inflation, increased fuel prices, and the high cost of printing materials.

Despite these hurdles, Dr. Dangut confirmed that the results for all 12,178 candidates with special needs have been released. This includes candidates with visual, auditory, and physical disabilities.

He encouraged candidates to utilize the Smart Identity Cards issued during the examination to access their digital certificates at [www.waec.org](http://www.waec.org) and to share and verify them through the same site.

Dr. Dangut expressed gratitude to the Federal Government, security agencies, school officials, and other stakeholders for their assistance throughout the examination process.