2026 WAEC Results Released as 61.54% Secure Five Credits Including English and Mathematics

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced the release of the 2026 Computer-Based WASSCE results, with 1.2 million candidates obtaining the minimum five credits, including English Language and Mathematics.

Speaking during the official announcement in Lagos on Wednesday, the Head of WAEC’s National Office, Dr. Amos Josiah Dangut, said 1,200,514 candidates, representing 61.54 per cent of those who sat the examination, achieved the benchmark required for admission into higher institutions.

He noted that the performance reflects a 1.42 per cent decrease compared to the previous year’s results.

WAEC said 1,959,668 candidates registered for the examination from 24,207 schools across Nigeria, Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea, while 1,950,726 candidates eventually participated.

The Council also disclosed that 1,687,378 candidates (86.50 per cent) obtained at least five credits irrespective of whether they passed English Language and Mathematics.

Female candidates outperformed their male counterparts among those who obtained five credits, including English and Mathematics, with 641,631 females compared to 558,883 males.

Dr. Dangut said 94.05 per cent of all candidates have had their results fully processed, while the remaining 5.95 per cent are still undergoing processing.

He further revealed that 1,213 candidates with special needs registered for the examination, including visually impaired, hearing-impaired and physically challenged candidates.

On examination malpractice, WAEC withheld the results of 167,486 candidates (8.59 per cent) over alleged violations.

“The increasing use of cell phones in the examination hall, in spite of the existing ban, and organized cheating in some schools, are other nagging issues,” Dr. Dangut said.

He added that supervisors and invigilators implicated in examination malpractice would be sanctioned through the appropriate State Ministries of Education.

Highlighting reforms introduced by WAEC, Dr. Dangut said the Council deployed the Digital Examiner Mark System (DEMS) to improve result processing, introduced serialised question papers to curb malpractice and launched a portal that enables candidates to generate e-PINs for result checking.

The Council also announced that candidates can apply for their digital certificates 48 hours after checking their results online, while registration for the 2026 WASSCE Private Candidates (Second Series) remains open at ₦37,500.

WAEC added that certificates would be ready within 90 days, while results of candidates sponsored by indebted state governments would remain withheld until outstanding financial obligations are cleared.

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