The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has withheld the results of 215,267 candidates who participated in the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates due to alleged malpractice.
This was announced by Dr. Amos Dangut, Head of the National Office (HNO), during a press briefing on Monday in Lagos.
Dr. Dangut revealed that the number of withheld results represents a 4.37% decrease compared to the 16.29% of results withheld in the 2023 WASSCE diet. He explained, “The withheld results of these candidates that sat for the examination are in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice.”
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He highlighted the increasing use of cell phones in examination halls and organized cheating in some schools as persistent issues. “All the cases are being investigated, and reports of the investigations will be presented to the appropriate committee of the council for consideration and final decisions,” he added.
The council assured that affected candidates would be notified of the committee’s decisions through their respective schools. Candidates who wish to contest the decisions can do so by filing for redress via the WAEC International website.
Dr. Dangut reiterated WAEC’s commitment to sanctioning all instances of malpractice, stressing that those involved, including schools, supervisors, teachers, and candidates, are harming the educational system. “All hands must therefore be on deck to sanitize the system,” he urged.
In providing a detailed breakdown of the 2024 WASSCE results, Dr. Dangut mentioned that a total of 1,814,736 candidates registered for the examination from 25,126 recognized secondary schools across Nigeria. Of these, 1,805,216 candidates actually sat for the exam, with 896,894 males and 908,322 females, representing 49.68% and 50.32%, respectively.
He further stated that 1,685,889 candidates, or 93.39%, had their results fully processed and released, while 119,327 candidates, or 6.61%, are still awaiting the processing of one or more subjects. He assured that efforts are ongoing to complete this process and release the affected results within a few days.
Regarding candidates’ performance, Dr. Dangut noted that 1,332,089 candidates, representing 73.79%, obtained credit or above in at least five subjects. Of these, 1,301,941 candidates, or 72.12%, achieved credit or above in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. He observed a 7.69% decrease in performance compared to the 2023 WASSCE, where 79.81% of candidates met this criterion.
The WAEC official also addressed the challenges encountered during the examination, such as security concerns in the Southeast due to the “Sit-at-home” order and the Nigeria Labour Congress’s industrial action. Additionally, he cited financial issues, inflation, and the rising cost of petroleum products as significant obstacles.
Dr. Dangut expressed concern over the involvement of some supervisors in aiding malpractice, particularly in collusion with operators of rogue websites. He warned that those found guilty would face appropriate sanctions through the Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC) and state ministries of education.
As WAEC begins uploading the 2024 WASSCE results on its website, Dr. Dangut advised candidates to apply for their digital certificates, which would be available within 48 hours of result verification. He also urged state governments indebted to WAEC to settle their obligations to allow affected candidates access to their results.
Hard copies of certificates for candidates whose results have been fully processed will be ready within the next 90 days.
