By LOVETH AZODO, Lagos
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has officially released the results of the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates, revealing a significant 33.8% decline in performance compared to the previous year.
According to figures released by the Council, only 754,545 candidates representing 38.32% of those who sat the examination obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects including English Language and Mathematics. This marks a sharp drop from the 72.12% recorded in 2024.
Of those who achieved this benchmark in 2025, 407,353 (53.99%) were female candidates while 347,192 (46.01%) were males, further underlining the consistent academic dominance of female students in recent years.
WAEC’s Head of National Office, Amos Josiah Dangut in a media briefing, disclosed that a total of 1,973,365 candidates registered for the 2025 examination from 23,554 recognized secondary schools across the country.
Out of this figure, 1,969,313 candidates eventually sat for the exam. The examination was also conducted in select schools in the Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea, where Nigeria’s senior secondary curriculum is in use.
The Council also provided data on candidates with special needs. A total of 12,178 special needs candidates registered, including 112 who were visually impaired, 615 with hearing difficulties, 52 with cognitive or mental challenges, and 37 who were physically challenged. WAEC assured that adequate provisions were made to accommodate their needs, and their results have also been released alongside those of other candidates.
Gender distribution among the candidates who sat the exams shows 976,787 (49.60%) were males, while 992,526 (50.40%) were females. Out of the total number of candidates, 1,517,517 (77.06%) had their results fully processed and released.
However, 451,796 (22.94%) candidates still have one or more of their subjects pending due to issues currently being resolved.
In general performance, 1,718,090 (87.24%) candidates obtained credit and above in at least five subjects, whether or not English Language and Mathematics were included.
Marking Innovation and Real-Time Score Capture
In a notable shift aimed at increasing accuracy and speeding up result processing, WAEC introduced a real-time digital score capturing system during the marking phase. The coordination and marking of candidates’ scripts took place between July 3 and July 21, 2025, across 85 traditional marking venues and 4 e-marking centers nationwide.
A total of 87,499 traditional examiners and 2,706 e-examiners were involved in the exercise. The digital score-entry system enabled instant transmission of scores to the central server, drastically reducing human error and promoting transparency.
“This innovation made it possible for us to release the results promptly,” the Head of National Office said.
However, WAEC also clarified that the results of candidates sponsored by state governments that are indebted to the Council will be withheld until the outstanding payments are made. The Council urged those state governments to “do the needful” to allow affected candidates access their results.
Malpractice Rates Drop, but Phone Use Still a Challenge
On examination malpractice, WAEC revealed that the results of 192,089 candidates (9.75%) are currently being withheld due to various forms of misconduct. This figure is an improvement from the 11.92% recorded in 2024. Nonetheless, the Council expressed concern over the rising use of mobile phones in exam halls and coordinated cheating in some schools.
WAEC reiterated its zero-tolerance stance and confirmed that all reported cases are under investigation. Final decisions will be made by the Council’s disciplinary committee, and candidates can seek redress by submitting complaints at https://waecinternational.org/complaints.
Accessing Results and Certificates
Candidates who have fulfilled their financial obligations can check their results starting from twelve hours after release at www.waecdirect.org. WAEC also encouraged candidates to apply for their digital certificates, which will be available for download 48 hours after accessing results online. Hard copies of result listings will be dispatched to schools in the coming days.
WAEC emphasized its ongoing commitment to improving the integrity, transparency, and efficiency of its examination process, while calling on all stakeholders to join in safeguarding the future of education in Nigeria.
Result Access and Digital Certificates
As the results continue to be uploaded, candidates are advised to check their scores via WAEC’s official website, [www.waecdirect.org](http://www.waecdirect.org). Those who have settled all financial obligations to the Council will be able to access their results within the next twelve hours. WAEC also announced that digital certificates will be available for download within 48 hours after result access.
Hard copies of result listings will be dispatched to schools in the coming days.
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