The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has withheld the results of 215,267 candidates who took the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates due to alleged malpractice.
Dr. Amos Dangut, Head of the National Office (HNO), made this announcement in Lagos on Monday. He revealed that this figure represents 11.92 percent of the candidates who sat for the exam, a decrease of 4.37 percent from the 16.29 percent recorded in 2023.
Dangut explained that the withheld results are linked to various cases of examination malpractice, including the unauthorized use of cell phones and organized cheating in some schools. All cases are under investigation, and findings will be reviewed by the appropriate council committee for final decisions. Affected candidates will be notified through their schools.
Candidates wishing to appeal can do so via https://waecinternational.org. The council is committed to addressing all cases of malpractice and emphasized that individuals involved in these activities are harming the educational system.
The examination saw a total of 1,814,736 candidates from 25,126 recognized secondary schools in the country. Of those, 896,894 were male and 908,322 were female. While 1,805,216 candidates took the exam, 1,685,889 results have been fully processed and released. The remaining 119,327 results are still being processed due to ongoing issues.
Dangut noted that 1,332,089 candidates, or 73.79 percent, received credits in a minimum of five subjects, while 1,301,941 candidates, or 72.12 percent, obtained credits including English Language and Mathematics. This represents a decrease from 79.81 percent in 2023.
The exam also included 109,115 candidates with special needs, whose results have been processed and released. Dangut acknowledged challenges such as security concerns and logistical issues, including inflation and delays in registration.
He also reported that some supervisors and invigilators were found to be complicit in malpractice and would face sanctions. As results continue to be uploaded, candidates can check their results online at http://www.waecdirect.org and apply for their digital certificates, which will be available 48 hours after application. Results for candidates sponsored by states with unpaid dues will be withheld until payment is received.
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