WAEC Seizes Results Of Over 7000 Candidates For Examination Malpractice

According to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), 7,192 applicants’ results from the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination for private candidates in Nigeria were withheld due to numerous instances of examination fraud.

According to earlier reports, WAEC had made the results of the private West African Senior School Certificate Examination for 2023 available.

It had said that 39,790 males and 41,114 females, or 49.18% and 50.82% of the total of 80,904 candidates who took the exam, were the gender distribution.

The confiscated results represent 8.89% of the total number of applicants who took the exam, according to a statement signed on Tuesday night by Moyosola F. Adesina, the acting head of public affairs for WAEC Nigeria, on behalf of the head of the national office.

The statement claims that the cases are being looked into, and the relevant Council committee will be presented with the investigative results for review.

It did, however, mention that following the conclusion of its investigation, the Committee will directly notify the candidates who may be impacted by its conclusions.

According to the statement, “Out of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, 78,419 candidates, representing 96.93% have their results fully processed and released while 2,485 candidates, representing 3.07% have a few of their subjects still being processed due to some errors traceable to them.

“However, efforts are being made to speedily complete the processing to enable all the affected candidates to get their results fully processed and released, soon.”

It said 46,267 candidates representing 57.19% obtained credit and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects (with or without English Language and/or Mathematics).

Also, according to the examination body, 35,830 candidates representing 44.29% obtained credit and above in a minimum of FIVE (5) subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

It said, “Of this number, seventeen thousand, six hundred and thirty-one (17,631) i.e., 49.21% were male candidates, while eighteen thousand, one hundred and ninety-nine (18,199), i.e., 50.79% were female candidates.

“The percentage of candidates in this category in WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2021 and 2022 Second Series, that is, those who obtained credit and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, were 48.61% and 42.16% respectively. Thus, there is a marginal increase of 2.13% in performance in this regard.

“This analysis, however, cannot be compared with that of WASSCE for School Candidates. Whereas the candidates in WASSCE for School Candidates are compelled to sit eight or nine subjects, the candidates in WASSCE for Private Candidates, though can register for eight or nine subjects, are not compelled to take all.

“They are free to sit, even one subject, depending on the deficiency they want to remedy. For them, therefore, the examination is only a remedial one – a remedy for an existing deficiency. From the above, it will not be true or fair to say that the performance in this examination has dwindled.

“The results of seven thousand, one hundred and ninety-two (7,192) candidates, representing 8.89% of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, are being withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice.

“The cases are being investigated and reports of the investigations will be presented to the appropriate Committee of the Council for consideration. Thereafter, the Committee’s decisions will be communicated directly to the affected candidates.”

It noted that examination was conducted in Nigeria between Friday, October 27, 2023 and Wednesday, December 20, 2023.

“The Coordination of Examiners and Marking of Candidates’ Scripts were carried out at SEVEN (7) Marking Venues in Lagos, Ibadan, Akure, Benin, Enugu, Uyo, and Kaduna from Tuesday, January 16, to Tuesday, January 30, 2024. A total of four thousand one hundred and sixty-two (4,162) Examiners participated in the Coordination and Marking Exercise,” it added.

“Eighty-five thousand, six hundred (85,600) candidates, representing 10.07% increase, when compared with the 2022 entry figure of seventy-seven thousand, seven hundred and sixty-eight (77,768), entered for the examination, while eighty thousand, nine hundred and four (80,904) candidates sat the examination at five hundred and sixty-eight (568) centres spread across the nooks and crannies of the country.”

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