The 2026 WAEC results have revealed that 38.46% of candidates who sat for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) failed to obtain the minimum requirement of five credits, including English Language and Mathematics
While the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) announced that 61.54% of candidates met the benchmark, the examination body also disclosed that thousands of candidates are still unable to access their results due to outstanding debts owed by some state governments
The announcement, made during a press briefing in Lagos, also highlighted concerns over examination malpractice, pending result processing, and a slight decline in candidates’ overall performance compared to the previous year
61.54% of Candidates Meet University Admission Benchmark
According to the Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, Dr. Amos Dangut, a total of 1,959,668 candidates from 24,207 secondary schools registered for the 2026 Computer Based WASSCE
Out of the registered candidates, 1,950,726 eventually sat for the examination conducted between April 24 and June 19, 2026
WAEC disclosed that:
- 1,200,514 candidates (61.54%) obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics
- 750,212 candidates (38.46%) did not achieve the required benchmark
Although the pass rate remains above 60%, WAEC noted that it represents a 1.42% decline compared to the 2025 examination
Thousands of WAEC Results Yet to Be Released
WAEC explained that while most candidates can already access their results, not every candidate has received theirs
The Council stated that:
- 1,834,695 candidates (94.05%) had their results successfully processed and released
- 116,031 candidates (5.95%) still have their results under processing due to unresolved issues
According to the examination body, efforts are ongoing to complete the verification process, and the remaining results are expected to be released within a few days
Indebted State Governments Delay Candidates’ Results
One of the major announcements made by WAEC concerns candidates sponsored by state governments that have not settled their financial obligations to the Council
WAEC said candidates from these states will remain unable to access their results until the outstanding debts are fully paid
The Council appealed to the affected state governments to settle their obligations quickly to prevent further hardship for students awaiting admission and other academic opportunities
Candidates whose states have fulfilled all financial requirements can check their results through the WAEC results portal within 12 hours of the official release and obtain their digital certificates within 48 hours
Female Candidates Outperform Male Counterparts
WAEC also released a gender breakdown of candidates who obtained five credits, including English and Mathematics
The Council revealed that:
Performance by Gender
- Male candidates: 558,883 (28.65%)
- Female candidates: 641,631 (32.89%)
The figures indicate that female candidates recorded a slightly higher success rate than their male counterparts in the 2026 examination
Over 167,000 Results Withheld Over Examination Malpractice
WAEC disclosed that examination malpractice remains a major challenge during the 2026 WASSCE
According to the Council:
167,486 candidates (8.59%) had their results withheld over alleged involvement in examination malpractice
The Council said all reported cases are currently under investigation and will be reviewed by the Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC) before final decisions are reached
WAEC also confirmed that several individuals involved in organized examination malpractice were arrested through collaboration with security agencies
In addition, some supervisors and invigilators found assisting candidates in malpractice have been sanctioned, while further disciplinary actions will be carried out in collaboration with various State Ministries of Education
What Candidates Should Do Next
Candidates whose results have been released should immediately verify their scores through the official WAEC results portal
Those whose results are still pending are advised to remain patient while WAEC completes the processing exercise
Candidates affected by state government indebtedness may also need to monitor announcements from their respective state education authorities regarding payment of outstanding fees to WAEC
Leave a Reply