WAEC defends integrity as schools query 2026 WASSCE results

​‌‍‍‍‍⁠⁠‌‍‌‍‌⁠‍​‌‌Dr Amos Dangut, Head of Nigeria National Office (HNO) of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), has dismissed concerns that technical glitches affected the 2026 WASSCE results.

WASSCE stands for West African Senior School Certificate Examination.

Dangut said the council’s marking, processing and moderation procedures remained credible, urging stakeholders with concerns over the results to seek clarification directly from WAEC.

He spoke on Thursday evening during a virtual dialogue organised by the Education Writers Association of Nigeria with the theme, ‘Addressing Concerns Over 2026 WASSCE Results, Other Matters’.

Dangut urged stakeholders to disregard unverified claims circulating on social media and approach the council for clarifications on issues concerning WASSCE candidates’ results.

He said WAEC introduced major innovations into the conduct of the examination, including computer-based assessment and randomisation and serialisation of questions, to strengthen the integrity of WASSCE.

According to him, the transition to technology-driven assessment had contributed to reduction in examination malpractice and improved the credibility of the examination.

“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.

The HNO disclosed that examination malpractice dropped from 9.97 per cent in 2025 to 8.59 per cent in 2026, describing the reduction as a positive outcome of the reforms.

“The reduction in examination malpractice should be viewed as one of the positive outcomes of reforms introduced by WAEC to strengthen the credibility and integrity of WASSCE.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some schools, parents and other education stakeholders had raised concerns over low grades recorded by 2026 WASSCE candidates, particularly in English Language and Mathematics.

Some schools said the results did not correspond with their students’ academic records, mock examination performances and previous achievements.

Their concerns centred on alleged technical glitches and possible irregularities in the processing of results.

At the virtual dialogue, the Principal of Babcock School, Remo, Ogun, Mr Fatola Samson, described the WASSCE results as the worst recorded by the school in its 31 years of existence.

Samson disclosed that 190 students from the school sat for the examination but only 27 achieved satisfactory results, while several candidates failed subjects, including Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.

The stakeholders called on WAEC to review the results, particularly those of candidates whose performances were inconsistent with their previous academic records.