The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, revealing a sharp drop in performance compared to last year.
According to WAEC’s Head of National Office, Dr Amos Dangut, only 38.32% of candidates obtained credit passes in both English Language and Mathematics, a key benchmark for university admission. This marks a significant decline from 72.12% recorded in 2024, a drop of over 33 percentage points.
Nearly 2 Million Candidates Sat for the Exam
Out of 1,973,365 candidates who registered across 23,554 secondary schools, 1,969,313 sat for the examination. A total of 1,718,090 candidates (87.24%) achieved credits and above in at least five subjects, but far fewer met the English and Mathematics requirements.
Dr Dangut attributed the poor performance partly to stricter anti‑malpractice measures, including the serialisation of objective papers in key subjects to curb cheating.
192,000 Results Withheld Over Exam Malpractice
WAEC confirmed that 192,089 results — representing 9.75% of total candidates — have been withheld due to alleged examination malpractice. This is a slight drop from the 11.92% withheld in 2024.
“Candidates, supervisors, and invigilators found guilty will face sanctions. Our zero‑tolerance policy on malpractice remains firm,” Dr Dangut said, urging affected candidates to submit complaints through the WAEC Nigeria complaints portal.
How to Check 2025 WAEC Results
WAEC advised candidates to use any of the following methods to access their results:
1️⃣ Online
- Visit https://www.waecdirect.org/
- Enter your Examination Number, Year (2025), and PIN/Serial Number
- Click Submit
2️⃣ SMS
- Send WAEC ExamNo PIN*2025 to 32327 (₦30 per SMS)
- Available on MTN, Airtel, and Glo
3️⃣ WAEC Mobile App
- Download from Google Play or the Apple App Store
- Log in with your details to view results instantly
Certificates and Special Considerations
WAEC stated that digital certificates will be available within 48 hours of result release, while printed certificates will be issued within 90 days. Special needs candidates — including those with visual, hearing, and learning impairments — were accommodated, with 12,178 such candidates completing the exam successfully.
Educational Concerns
The sharp decline in pass rates has sparked concerns among educators, policymakers, and parents about the quality of teaching and learning in Nigerian schools. Analysts warn that the drop could impact university admission rates and call for urgent interventions in curriculum delivery and exam preparation.
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