WAEC Recalls 2025 WASSCE Results, Urges Candidates To Recheck Amid Technical Glitches.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has recalled the results of the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, citing technical issues in the result compilation process. The examination body announced on Thursday that candidates who accessed their results earlier this week should disregard them and check again within 24 hours for updated outcomes, following the temporary shutdown of its result-checking portal.
In a statement by Moyosola Adesina, WAEC’s Acting Head of Public Affairs, the council revealed that glitches were detected during an internal review, particularly affecting serialised subjects such as Mathematics, English Language, Biology, and Economics. “The West African Examinations Council sincerely regrets to inform the general public of technical issues discovered during the internal review of the recently released results,” the statement read, adding that the council is working diligently to resolve the issues transparently within the next day. Candidates are advised to revisit the WAEC portal at www.waecdirect.org to access their corrected results, using their examination number and result-checking PIN.
The recall follows WAEC’s initial release of the 2025 WASSCE results on Monday, 4 August, which showed a significant decline in performance, with only 38.32% of the 1,969,313 candidates achieving credits in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics—a 33.8% drop from the 72.12% recorded in 2024. The poor performance sparked widespread criticism, with students and parents expressing frustration over logistical challenges during the exams, including delays that forced some candidates to write the English Language paper late at night on 28 May. Social media posts highlighted outrage, wish users pleading for a review of the English results, citing financial and emotional strain, while calling for an external body to revise the examination process.
WAEC attributed the low pass rate to factors such as poor preparation and reliance on malpractice, with 192,089 candidates’ results (9.75%) withheld due to reported offences, including the use of mobile phones and collusion. The council also noted that 1,517,517 candidates (77.06%) had their results fully processed, while 451,796 (22.94%) faced delays due to unresolved issues. The introduction of paper serialisation, aimed at curbing malpractice, was cited as a factor in the technical glitches, alongside the council’s transition to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for some candidates, a first in its history.
The portal shutdown, announced via WAEC’s official X handle (@waecnigeria), has fuelled further public discontent, with some candidates alleging deliberate manipulation. However, WAEC has assured stakeholders that its technical team is working round the clock to restore access and ensure accuracy. “We extend our deep and sincere apologies to all affected candidates and the general public,” the council stated, urging patience as it addresses the situation.
The recall has drawn comparisons to earlier issues faced by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which conducted supplementary exams after similar glitches in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Education analysts have called for greater scrutiny of Nigeria’s examination bodies to restore public confidence. For now, candidates are encouraged to check their results afresh from Friday, 8 August, as WAEC works to uphold fairness and professionalism in its processes.
