The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has defended the credibility of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), dismissing claims that technical problems affected candidates’ results.
The Head of Nigeria’s National Office of WAEC, Dr Amos Dangut, said the council followed established procedures for marking, processing and moderating the examination, maintaining that the results were produced through a credible process.
Dangut spoke on Thursday during a virtual dialogue organised by the Education Writers Association of Nigeria on concerns surrounding the 2026 WASSCE results.
He advised parents, schools and other stakeholders who have questions about individual results to contact WAEC directly rather than rely on unverified information circulating on social media.
WAEC cites technology-driven reforms
According to Dangut, WAEC introduced several measures aimed at improving the integrity of the examination, including computer-based assessment as well as the randomisation and serialisation of questions.
He said the reforms had helped reduce opportunities for examination malpractice while improving transparency in the examination process.
“The reforms introduced by WAEC have strengthened the examination process, reduced opportunities for malpractice and enhanced the credibility, transparency and integrity of WASSCE results,” he said.
Dangut disclosed that the rate of examination malpractice fell from 9.97 per cent in 2025 to 8.59 per cent in 2026.
He described the decline as evidence that the measures introduced by the council were having a positive impact on the conduct of the examination.
Schools raise concerns over results
The defence came after some schools, parents and education stakeholders questioned the performance of candidates in the 2026 examination.
Particular concerns were raised over results in English Language and Mathematics, with some schools saying the grades recorded by their students appeared inconsistent with their classroom performance, mock examination results and previous academic records.
Some stakeholders consequently called for WAEC to investigate the results of candidates whose performance appeared significantly different from their established academic records.
The principal of Babcock School, Remo, Ogun State, Fatola Samson, told the virtual meeting that the 2026 results represented the school’s poorest performance in its 31-year history.
He said 190 students from the school sat for the examination, but only 27 recorded satisfactory results, while a number of candidates failed subjects including Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.
The development has intensified calls from affected schools and parents for WAEC to review results where there are credible grounds for concern.
Dangut, however, urged stakeholders to seek clarification through the council’s official channels and avoid drawing conclusions from claims that have not been verified.
The controversy comes as WAEC continues its transition towards greater use of technology in the examination process, with the council maintaining that the changes are designed to make WASSCE more secure, transparent and resistant to malpractice.
