WAEC Withholds Results of 215,267 Candidates Over Exam Malpractice

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has withheld the results of 215,267 candidates from the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) due to suspected cases of examination malpractice. This number accounts for 11.92 percent of the 1,805,216 candidates who took the examination.

The 2024 WASSCE began on April 30 and concluded on June 24, 2024. During the announcement of the results on Monday, Dr. Amos Dangut, Head of WAEC’s Nigeria Office, disclosed the details regarding the withheld results, attributing them to various reported cases of examination misconduct.

Dr. Dangut noted that the percentage of withheld results in 2024 is 4.37 percent lower than the 16.29 percent recorded in 2023. He emphasized that the Council remains committed to addressing examination malpractice and will continue to enforce strict penalties. He also highlighted the detrimental impact that schools, supervisors, teachers, and students involved in these practices have on the educational system.

“The increasing use of mobile phones in the examination hall, despite the existing ban, and organized cheating in some schools, are other nagging 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,” Dr. Dangut said.

He further explained that the committee’s decisions regarding the withheld results will be communicated to the affected candidates through their respective schools. Candidates also have the option to seek redress for their malpractice cases via WAEC’s official website.

In addition to addressing the issue of withheld results, Dr. Dangut shared that 73.79 percent of candidates achieved credit or above in at least five subjects, with or without English Language and/or Mathematics. This figure represents 1,332,089 candidates out of the total who sat for the examination.

As the results are being uploaded online, Dr. Dangut encouraged candidates to apply for their Digital Certificates, which will be available 48 hours after the results are posted. He also mentioned that candidates who have met their financial obligations to the Council will be able to access their results on the WAEC results website within the next 12 hours. Schools will also receive copies of the Result Listing shortly.

The 2024 WASSCE was conducted across four WAEC member countries: Nigeria, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.