The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has withheld the results of 167,486 candidates, representing 8.59% of those who sat the 2026 Computer-Based WASSCE for School Candidates, over alleged examination malpractice.
The announcement was made on Wednesday in Lagos by the Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, Dr. Amos Dangut, during the official release of the 2026 WASSCE results.
Key highlights
167,486 results withheld over alleged examination malpractice.
The malpractice rate dropped to 8.59%, compared to 9.7% in 2025.
WAEC attributed the infractions mainly to:
- The increasing use of mobile phones in examination halls despite the ban.
- Organised cheating in some schools.
Some supervisors and invigilators caught aiding malpractice have been arrested and will face disciplinary action through the appropriate state ministries of education.
2026 WASSCE performance
- Registered candidates: 1,959,668
- Candidates who sat the examination: 1,950,726
- Candidates with five credits, including English and Mathematics: 1,200,514 (61.54%)
- Candidates with five credits, with or without English and Mathematics: 1,687,378 (86.50%)
WAEC noted that the percentage of candidates who obtained five credits, including English and Mathematics, declined by 1.42 percentage points compared to the 2025 examination.
Results released and pending
Results fully processed and released: 1,834,695 (94.05%)
Results still being processed: 116,031 (5.95%)
Candidates with special needs
A total of 1,213 candidates with special needs participated in the examination, including:
- 137 visually impaired candidates
- 491 hearing-impaired candidates
- 55 spastic and mentally challenged candidates
- 41 physically challenged candidates
WAEC also announced that candidates sponsored by state governments owing the council examination fees will not have their results released until the outstanding debts are settled.
