The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has withheld the results of 215,267 candidates who participated in the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
This figure represents 11.92% of the 1,805,216 candidates who took the examination, reflecting a considerable number of students affected by this decision.
The 2024 WASSCE commenced on Tuesday, 30th April 2024, and concluded on 24th June 2024.
The announcement regarding the withheld results was made by Dr. Amos Dangut, the Head of the Nigeria Office, WAEC, during a press conference on Monday. Dr. Dangut cited various reported cases of examination malpractice as the primary reason for the withholding of these results.
Dr. Dangut revealed that the current figure of withheld results is 4.37% lower than the 16.29% recorded in the 2023 WASSCE for School Candidates.
This decrease signals a slight improvement in the fight against examination malpractice, although the numbers still indicate a significant challenge that needs to be addressed.
Dr. Dangut emphasized WAEC’s unwavering commitment to sanctioning all cases of examination malpractice. He pointed out that the increasing use of mobile phones in examination halls, despite an existing ban, and organized cheating in some schools, are persistent issues that the Council is grappling with.
“The Council will continue to sanction all cases of examination malpractice. Schools, supervisors, teachers, and candidates involved in such practices are undermining the educational system,” Dr. Dangut stated.
All reported cases of malpractice are currently under investigation. Dr. Dangut assured that the findings would be presented to the appropriate committee of the Council for consideration and final decisions. The committee’s decisions will subsequently be communicated to the affected candidates through their respective schools.
“Candidates affected by these decisions can now seek redress for their malpractice cases via our website if they so wish. All hands must, therefore, be on deck to sanitize the system,” Dr. Dangut added.
On a positive note, Dangut highlighted that 73.79% of candidates obtained credit or above in a minimum of any five subjects, with or without English Language and/or Mathematics. This impressive figure represents 1,332,089 candidates out of the total 1,805,216 who sat for the examination.