Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The West African Examinations Council officially released the 2026 Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results for school candidates on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, announcing that 1.2 million candidates obtained credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, representing 61.54 per cent of the total candidates who sat for the examination.
Announcing the results at a press briefing at the Council’s headquarters in Yaba, Lagos, the Head of WAEC Nigeria National Office, Dr Amos Josiah Dangut, said a total of 1,959,668 candidates from 24,207 schools enrolled for the examination across Nigeria, Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea. Of these, 1,950,726 candidates sat for the examination. According to the examination body, 1,200,514 candidates, representing 61.54 per cent, obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. This figure represents a 1.42 per cent decrease compared to the 62.96 per cent recorded in 2025.
When the requirement for five credits was considered irrespective of subject combination, the number of successful candidates rose to 1,687,378, representing 86.50 per cent of the total candidates who sat the examination. Among the 1.2 million candidates who passed English and Mathematics, 558,883, representing 28.65 per cent, were male, while 641,631, representing 32.89 per cent, were female, indicating that female candidates outperformed their male counterparts in the core benchmark for tertiary admission. Overall, 953,459 males, representing 48.88 per cent, and 997,267 females, representing 51.12 per cent, sat for the examination.
The examination, which was conducted from April 24 to June 19, 2026, was marked by 102,708 examiners across 88 marking venues. Dr Dangut noted that 1,834,695 candidates, representing 94.05 per cent, have had their results fully processed and released, while the results of 116,031 candidates, representing 5.95 per cent, are still being processed. A total of 1,213 candidates with special needs registered for the examination, including 137 visually challenged candidates, 491 with impaired hearing, 55 spastic and mentally challenged candidates, and 41 physically challenged candidates.
In a significant development, the examination body withheld the results of 167,486 candidates, representing 8.59 per cent, over examination malpractice. This represents a 1.11 per cent decrease from the 9.7 per cent recorded in 2025. Dr Dangut identified the increasing use of cell phones in the examination hall despite the existing ban, and organized cheating in some schools, as persistent challenges. He added that some supervisors and invigilators caught aiding malpractice have been apprehended and would face sanctions through State Ministries of Education.
The 2026 WASSCE marked the second time the Council conducted the Computer-Based WASSCE for school candidates. Key innovations introduced include the Digital Examiner Mark System (DEMS) for faster processing, serialisation of question papers to combat malpractice, and a new portal that allows candidates to directly generate e-PINs to check their results. Candidates can now check their results within 12 hours at www.waecdirect.org. Digital certificates will be available 48 hours after checking results online, while hard copies of certificates will be ready in 90 days. Registration for the Private Candidates 2026 Second Series is ongoing at N37,500, with walk-in candidates allowed. Candidates whose results have been released can now apply for digital certificates and access their results through the Council's online platforms.
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