The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced the withholding of results for 215,267 candidates who participated in the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) due to alleged examination malpractice.
This figure accounts for 11.92% of the total 1,805,216 candidates who sat for the exam, a decrease of 4.37% from the previous year's 16.29%.
Dr. Amos Dangut, the Head of WAEC's Nigeria Office, made this announcement during a press briefing in Lagos.
He emphasized that the withheld results are linked to various reported cases of malpractice, including the unauthorized use of mobile phones in examination halls and organized cheating in some schools.
All cases are currently under investigation, and findings will be submitted to the appropriate committee for review. Decisions regarding the cases will be communicated to affected candidates through their schools, and candidates can seek redress via WAEC's official website.
In terms of overall performance, 73.79% of candidates 1,332,089 achieved credit or above in at least five subjects, with or without English Language and Mathematics.
Additionally, 1,301,941 candidates obtained credits in five subjects including English and Mathematics.
Dr. Dangut also highlighted that 109,115 candidates with special needs registered for the examination, and their results have been processed alongside those of other candidates.
The examination, conducted across Nigeria and three other WAEC member countries, faced several challenges, including security concerns and logistical issues exacerbated by inflation and the non-adherence to registration deadlines by some schools.
Dr. Dangut reiterated the importance of maintaining examination integrity and the council's commitment to sanctioning any malpractice.
Candidates who have fulfilled their financial obligations can access their results online within the next 12 hours, and digital certificates will be available 48 hours after checking results.
