The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2026 Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, with more than 1.2 million candidates meeting the benchmark for admission into higher institutions.
Speaking at the official announcement in Lagos on Wednesday, the Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, Dr. Amos Josiah Dangut, disclosed that 1,200,514 candidates, representing 61.54 per cent, obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics. The figure reflects a 1.42 per cent decline compared to the 2025 examination.
According to WAEC, 1,959,668 candidates from 24,207 schools across Nigeria, Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea registered for the examination, while 1,950,726 candidates eventually sat for the papers.
The examination body also revealed that 1,687,378 candidates, representing 86.50 per cent, earned five credits or more, regardless of whether English Language and Mathematics were included among the passes.
Breaking down the successful candidates, Dangut said 558,883 males (28.65 per cent) and 641,631 females (32.89 per cent) obtained the required five credits, including English and Mathematics. Overall, 953,459 males and 997,267 females participated in the examination.
WAEC announced that 1,834,695 candidates, representing 94.05 per cent, have had their results fully processed and released. However, the results of 116,031 candidates (5.95 per cent) are still undergoing processing and will be released once all necessary procedures are completed.
The council also highlighted its commitment to inclusive education, revealing that 1,213 candidates with special needs registered for the examination. The group included candidates with visual impairment, hearing impairment, physical disabilities and other special educational needs.
On examination malpractice, WAEC said it withheld the results of 167,486 candidates, representing 8.59 per cent of those who sat the examination. Although the figure remains significant, it is lower than the 9.7 per cent recorded in 2025.
Dangut attributed many of the malpractice cases to the continued use of mobile phones in examination halls and organised cheating in some schools. He added that supervisors and invigilators found assisting candidates have been identified and will face disciplinary action through their respective State Ministries of Education.
The WAEC chief noted that the 2026 examination marked the second edition of the Computer-Based WASSCE for school candidates and also served as his final media briefing as Head of the WAEC Nigeria National Office.
