Malpractice Menace: WAEC Cracks Down, Withholds 215,267 Results

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has withheld the results of 215,267 candidates from the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). This figure represents 11.92 percent of the 1,805,216 candidates who took the examination, which commenced on April 30, 2024, and concluded on June 24, 2024.

During the announcement of the 2024 WASSCE results, the Head of the Nigeria Office, Dr. Amos Dangut, stated that the results were withheld due to various reported cases of examination malpractice. He noted that this figure was 4.37 percent lower than the 16.29 percent recorded in the WASSCE for School Candidates in 2023. Dr. Dangut emphasized the Council’s commitment to sanctioning all cases of malpractice, highlighting that schools, supervisors, teachers, and candidates involved in such activities undermine the educational system.

Dr. Dangut expressed concern over the increasing use of mobile phones in examination halls, despite the existing ban, and organized cheating in some schools. He confirmed that all cases are under investigation, and the findings will be presented to the appropriate committee of the Council for final decisions. The committee’s decisions will be communicated to the affected candidates through their respective schools. Candidates can seek redress for their malpractice cases via the WAEC website if they wish.

In terms of performance, Dr. Dangut revealed that 73.79 percent of candidates obtained credit or above in a minimum of five subjects, with or without English Language and/or Mathematics. This translates to 1,332,089 candidates out of the total 1,805,216 who sat for the examination. He encouraged candidates to check their results online and apply for their Digital Certificates, which will be released 48 hours thereafter. Candidates who have fulfilled their financial obligations to the Council can access their results on the Council’s website within the next 12 hours, and copies of the Result Listing will be sent to schools shortly. The examination was conducted in four WAEC member countries: Nigeria, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.