WAEC Records Worst WASSCE Result in 10 Years
From expo fails to midnight papers, Nigeria’s worst WAEC result in a decade is a wake-up call
If you followed this year’s WASSCE, then the outcome may not come as a surprise. Weeks ago, disturbing videos made the rounds showing students writing their English exam deep into the night, using phone torchlights and candles. From Lagos to Taraba, it was chaos in motion. Now, the results are out, and the lamentation is louder than ever.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has officially confirmed what many feared: only 38.32% of the 1,969,313 candidates passed with credits in five core subjects, including English and Mathematics. That’s the lowest performance in over a decade, even worse than the 38.68% recorded in 2015. Compared to 2024’s impressive 72.12% pass rate, this year’s figure marks a sharp 33.8% decline, and a clear sign that something is deeply wrong.
New Rules, Old Problems
WAEC’s Head of National Office, Dr Amos Dangut, explained that the drop in performance is a direct result of tougher anti-malpractice measures, including the serialisation of objective questions, which made copying much harder.
“The drop in performance can be attributed to the new anti-malpractice strategies, especially serialisation, which made collusion and cheating more difficult,” he said.
The council also blamed students’ growing dependence on so-called “expo” from rogue websites and Telegram groups, many of which provide fake or outdated materials.
In addition, 192,089 results, about 9.75%, were withheld for suspected malpractice. While this is slightly lower than 2024’s 11.92%, it still signals deep-rooted challenges. Another 451,796 results (22.94%) are still being processed due to technical or administrative delays.
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CBT Transition: Too Fast, Too Soon?
This year, WAEC piloted a hybrid CBT model, where questions appeared on screen while answers were written in booklets, in subjects like English Language, Mathematics, Biology, and Economics. The idea was to prepare candidates ahead of a full Computer-Based Testing (CBT) rollout in 2026, as directed by the Federal Government.
However, many students simply weren’t ready.
“Some of them have never used a computer, yet they’re being asked to take CBT exams,” said Haruna Danjuma, National President of the Parents-Teachers Association.
“The poor performance was expected. Most schools lack basic infrastructure. Some don’t even have light or chairs, talk less of computer labs.”
Educators are worried the country is moving too fast.
Prof. Francis Egbokhare, a former Director at the University of Ibadan, warned:
“This is a reflection of the crisis of quality in the education sector. Our graduates can’t construct correct sentences. Even teachers can’t pass the exams they set. We are witnessing a real-time collapse of our learning system.”
Candlelight Exams, Broken Logistics
One of the biggest scandals of the 2025 WASSCE came on May 28, when WAEC conducted the English Language paper late at night in several states, including Lagos, Ogun, Osun, and Taraba. The council said it was forced to reprint papers after detecting a leak, which threw logistics into disarray.
Students were recorded writing past midnight, some under candlelight and torchlight, scenes that sparked outrage across the country.
Dr Bisi Akin-Alabi, an education policy advocate and former Special Adviser on Education, blamed poor planning and over-reliance on malpractice:
“When there’s no expo, the results crash. That says everything. The CBT rollout shocked many unprepared students. But the real issue is poor teaching and bad habits.”
Fola Adekeye, Director of Studies at a private school in Ogun State, added: “WAEC must fix its logistics. Some papers came very late. Still, students who were prepared passed. We had students score distinctions, even in this chaos.”
Despite WAEC’s reassurances, parents, school heads, and education analysts are asking tough questions: Is Nigeria really ready for full CBT in 2026? Or are we setting up millions of students for failure?
The Bigger Picture
Beyond the figures and fallout, this year’s result raises deeper questions. Education experts warn that unless urgent action is taken, from improving teacher quality to upgrading school infrastructure and rebuilding student confidence in learning, Nigeria risks facing an even bigger crisis.
“No education system can exceed the quality of its teachers,” said Prof Egbokhare. “And no amount of AI or CBT will fix that.”
