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| Waec Council |
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced the release of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results, revealing that 61.54 per cent of candidates obtained the minimum requirement of five credits, including English Language and Mathematics.
The results were unveiled on Thursday by the Head of WAEC's National Office, Dr. Amos Dangut, during a press briefing in Lagos.
According to the examination body, a total of 1,950,726 candidates sat for the examination after 1,959,668 registered across thousands of secondary schools nationwide. Of those who participated, 1,200,514 candidates met the benchmark required for admission into most Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions.
WAEC also disclosed that female candidates performed better than their male counterparts in the 2026 examination. A breakdown of the results showed that 641,631 female candidates secured five credits, including English and Mathematics, compared to 558,883 male candidates who achieved the same feat.
Beyond the benchmark for university admission, the council stated that 1,687,378 candidates, representing 86.50 per cent, earned at least five credits with or without English Language and Mathematics.
However, the examination body withheld the results of 167,486 candidates, representing 8.59 per cent of the total candidates, over allegations of examination malpractice. WAEC explained that the affected results are under investigation and that all candidates involved would be given a fair hearing before final decisions are reached.
Dr. Dangut noted that the number of withheld results reflects a slight decline in examination malpractice compared to previous years, describing it as an encouraging sign that efforts to safeguard the integrity of public examinations are yielding positive results.
The council further revealed that 1,834,695 candidates, representing 94.05 per cent of those who sat for the examination, have already had their results fully processed and released. Meanwhile, 116,031 candidates are still awaiting the completion of result processing due to unresolved issues currently being addressed by the examination body.
Candidates have been advised to check their results through WAEC's official online result-checking platform using their examination numbers and result checker PINs.
WAEC reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring credibility, fairness and transparency in the conduct of its examinations. The council also warned schools, supervisors, parents and candidates against engaging in any form of examination malpractice, stressing that offenders would continue to face sanctions in accordance with its regulations.
The release of the 2026 WASSCE results provides millions of candidates with the opportunity to begin admission processes into tertiary institutions, while the council continues investigations into cases of suspected examination malpractice.