The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), yesterday, released results of the May/June 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) written by over 1.6 million candidates nationwide.
However, results of candidates in eight states were with-held because their sponsored states failed to pay the registration fees.
Announcing the results at the Yaba head office of the council, the Nigeria Head of National Office (HNO), Mr. Patrick Areghan, said 20,851 secondary schools presented candidates, who wrote 76 subjects made up of 197 papers while marking of answer scripts ended August 1, 2023 in 85 marking venues and one e-marking center.
He said 1,621,884 candidates registered for the examination from 20,867 recognized secondary schools in the country and 1,613,733) candidates sat for the examination.
According to him, the school exam was also conducted to candidates from some schools in Benin Republic, Cote d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea, where the Nigerian curriculum for Senior Secondary Schools is being used.
He also disclosed that 70,794 candidates, with varying degrees of special needs, registered for the examination, adding, “out of which 109 were visually impaired, 386 had impaired hearing; 33 were spastic cum mentally challenged and 34 were physically challenged.
“All these candidates were adequately provided for in the administration of the examination. The results of these candidates have been processed and are also now being released along with those of other candidates.”
Areghan said 1,476,565 candidates, representing 91.5% have their results fully processed and released while 137,168 others, representing 8.5% have a few of their subjects still being processed due to some shortcomings, non-challant, lethargy, incomplete CASS upload, disobedience of rubrics, associated with the schools and candidates concerned.
He explained that efforts are being made to complete the resolution process to enable all the affected candidates to speedily get their results fully processed and released within the next couple of days.
“The analysis of the statistics of the performance of candidates in the examination shows that 1,361,608 candidates, representing 84.38%, obtained credit and above in a minimum of any five subjects, with or without English Language and/or Mathematics.”
Highlight of the briefing was the announcement that 1,287,920 candidates, representing 79.81%, obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
“Of this number, 616,914 representing 47.9% were male while 671,006 representing 52.1% were female candidates. The percentage of candidates in this category in the WASSCE for school candidates, 2022, that is, those who obtained credit and above in a minimum of 5 subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, was 76.36%. Thus, there is 3.45% decrease in performance in this regard,” he stated.
Areghan revealed that the results of 262,803 candidates, representing 16.29%, the number of candidates that sat the examination, are being withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice.
The HNO said the figure is 6.54% lower than the 22.83% recorded in the WASSCE for school candidates, 2022, noting, “the reasons for this are not far-fetched. Candidates are no longer ready to study, they lack self-confidence and preparations for examinations are poor.
“There is over-reliance on the so-called ‘Expo’, which is non-existent. Candidates got frustrated when they got to the examination hall and discovered that all they had celebrated was fake. This has pitiably led to some of them failing the examination, which, if they had relied on themselves and studied adequately, would have passed like many others.”
He warned that the council would continue to sanction cases of examination malpractice noting that schools, supervisors, teachers and candidates perpetrating this evil are not helping the educational system.
Said he: “It is the child whose future is being destroyed. Parents must stop funding the so-called ‘expo’ for their children; it does not help. Those who indulge in posting items on designated platforms do not mean well for the candidates. They are simply destroying the future of our children. We can assure you that perpetrators and beneficiaries of such ‘help’ will never go unpunished. This must not be allowed to continue. It is our collective responsibility to defeat this evil.”
On indebtedness, the HNO said for long, he has been shying away from naming the state owing the council registration fees and went ahead to mention eight states indebted to WAEC and stated that candidates sponsored by the affected states would not get their results.
“Among the Some states owing WAEC are Niger and Zamfara states. The governor of Niger state recently confirmed owing the council. In this school exam, Zamfara did not sponsor candidates but owe over N1 billion. No public schools in the affected eight states will get their results. But private schools, who registered candidates in the eight states, their results will be released,” Areghan added.