WAEC withholds results of over 215,000 candidates due to malpractice

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has withheld the results of 215,267 candidates who sat for the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) due to allegations of examination malpractice.

Dr. Amos Dangut, Head of the National Office (HNO), made this announcement on Monday in Lagos during the official release of the examination results. According to Dangut, the withheld results represent 11.92% of the total candidates who took the exam, marking a 4.37% decrease in malpractice cases compared to 16.29% in the 2023 examination.

“The results of these candidates are being withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice, including the increasing use of cell phones in examination halls despite an existing ban, and organized cheating in some schools,” Dangut stated.

He added that all reported cases are currently under investigation, and the findings will be submitted to the appropriate committee of the council for review and final decisions. The outcomes of these investigations will be communicated to the affected candidates through their respective schools in due course. Dangut also encouraged candidates who wish to appeal the decisions to do so via WAEC’s official website.

WAEC remains firm in its commitment to curbing examination malpractice, with Dangut noting that those involved—including schools, supervisors, teachers, and candidates—are harming the educational system. “All hands must be on deck to sanitize the system,” he emphasized.

Providing further details on the 2024 WASSCE, Dangut revealed that a total of 1,814,736 candidates registered for the examination across 25,126 recognized secondary schools in Nigeria. Of these, 1,805,216 candidates actually sat for the exam, with 896,894 males (49.68%) and 908,322 females (50.32%).

The examination was also conducted in schools in Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea, where the Nigerian senior secondary school curriculum is used.

Dangut noted that 93.39% of the candidates who sat for the examination have had their results fully processed and released, while the results of 6.61% are still being processed due to some unresolved issues. He assured that efforts are ongoing to release these results within the next few days.

Regarding candidate performance, Dangut reported that 73.79% of the candidates obtained credit or above in a minimum of five subjects, whether or not they included English Language and Mathematics. However, only 72.12% obtained credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, reflecting a 7.69% decrease in performance compared to the previous year.

Dangut also highlighted the participation of candidates with special needs, noting that 109,115 candidates with varying degrees of disabilities registered for the examination. He assured that these candidates were adequately accommodated, and their results have been processed and released along with those of other candidates.

However, Dangut cited several challenges WAEC faced during the examination, including security concerns in certain regions. The “Sit-at-home” orders in the Southeast and industrial action by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) coincided with major exam dates, posing significant threats to the smooth conduct of the exams. Additionally, Dangut criticized the failure of some schools to meet registration deadlines, which disrupted the examination process.

Financial constraints, including the effects of inflation and fuel scarcity, also impacted the conduct of the examination. Dangut further condemned the actions of some supervisors who colluded with rogue website operators to compromise the exam’s integrity, stating that those caught have been penalized, with further sanctions to be determined by the Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC).

As the 2024 WASSCE results are uploaded online, Dangut advised candidates to apply for their digital certificates 48 hours after checking their results. Candidates who have met their financial obligations to WAEC can access their results on the council’s official website within 12 hours.

He also reiterated that the results of candidates sponsored by states indebted to WAEC will not be released until the outstanding payments are made. Candidates are reminded that their Result Checker PIN and Serial Number are available on the Smart Identity Card used during the examination. Hard copies of certificates will be ready within 90 days from the date of the result release.