From Victor Osula, Abuja
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, showing mixed fortunes as 1,200,514 candidates qualified for university admission while more than 750,000 candidates failed to attain the minimum entry requirement.
The results, announced on Wednesday by the Head of the WAEC National Office, Dr. Amos Josiah Dangut, showed that the successful candidates, representing 61.54 per cent of the 1,950,726 candidates who sat the examination, obtained credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
The performance represents a 1.42 percentage-point decline from the 2025 examination, indicating a slight drop in candidates meeting the minimum admission benchmark despite the Council’s continued digital transformation of its examination process.
According to WAEC, 1,959,668 candidates from 24,207 secondary schools across Nigeria, Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea registered for the examination, while 1,950,726 eventually sat for the papers conducted between April 24 and June 19, 2026.
The Council also disclosed that 1,687,378 candidates, representing 86.50 per cent, obtained credits in at least five subjects with or without English Language and Mathematics.
Of the total candidates who sat the examination, 953,459 were males (48.88 per cent) while 997,267 were females (51.12 per cent).
Among those who met the university admission benchmark, 558,883 were male candidates, while 641,631 were female candidates, indicating that female candidates outperformed their male counterparts in the critical performance category.
WAEC withheld the results of 167,486 candidates, representing 8.59 per cent of those who sat the examination, over alleged involvement in examination malpractice.
Although significant, the Council noted that the figure represents an improvement over the 9.70 per cent recorded in 2025.
Dr. Dangut blamed the growing use of mobile phones in examination halls and organised cheating in some schools for the continued challenge of examination malpractice.
He disclosed that supervisors and invigilators found aiding malpractice had been apprehended and would face sanctions through the appropriate State Ministries of Education.
Meanwhile, 1,834,695 candidates, representing 94.05 per cent, have had their results fully processed and released, while the results of 116,031 candidates (5.95 per cent) are still undergoing processing and verification.
Dr. Dangut said the 2026 exercise marked the second Computer-Based WASSCE for School Candidates, describing it as another milestone in WAEC’s digital transformation programme.
He listed major innovations introduced during the examination to include the Digital Examiner Marking System (DEMS) for faster script processing, serialisation of question papers to curb malpractice, and a new online portal that allows candidates to generate electronic PINs directly for result checking.
The Council also reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive education, disclosing that 1,213 candidates with special needs registered for the examination.
They include 137 visually impaired candidates, 491 hearing-impaired candidates, 55 spastic and mentally challenged candidates, and 41 physically challenged candidates.
Candidates can now apply for their digital certificates within 48 hours of checking their results online, while physical certificates will be available within 90 days.
WAEC further announced that registration for the 2026 WASSCE for Private Candidates (Second Series) is ongoing at ₦37,500, with provision made for walk-in candidates.
The examination scripts were marked by 102,708 examiners across 88 marking centres nationwide.
The Computer-Based WASSCE is part of WAEC’s ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening examination integrity, reducing malpractice, and improving the speed and efficiency of result processing through technology.
The Council also reminded the public that the results of candidates sponsored by state governments indebted to WAEC would remain withheld until the affected states settle their outstanding financial obligations.
Candidates whose results have been released can access them online, while the Council continues processing the outstanding results for release upon completion of verification procedures.
