What started as WAEC’s proud moment of releasing the 2025 WASSCE results turned into a public relations disaster — and a warning shot about the examination body’s ability to handle modern technology.
In August, the first results dropped like a bombshell: only 38.32% of the 1.97 million candidates earned five credits, including English and Mathematics. The lowest in a decade, it sparked outrage among students, parents, and educators. But before the dust could settle, WAEC abruptly shut down its results portal, admitting there’d been a “technical glitch.”
Days later, the revised figures told a completely different story: 62.96% passed — a massive jump of 24.64 percentage points. That’s 1,239,884 candidates with the magic five credits. Still, the number was below the 70%+ streak seen from 2021 to 2024 and a step back from WAEC’s upward trend in recent years.
WAEC’s own explanation? Head of National Office, Amos Dangut, admitted that a “serialised code file” was wrongly applied when marking the English Language Objective paper, leading to incorrect answer keys. In other words, thousands of students were unfairly failed due to a basic but catastrophic error.
This was not WAEC’s only embarrassment. In some regions, the English Language Objective Paper III was held between 9 pm and 11 pm — a result of exam leakages that forced rescheduling. Such logistical chaos raises serious questions about competence.
While WAEC deserves credit for admitting the mistake and fixing it, “sorry” doesn’t erase the damage. The examination body must prove it can implement new systems like computer-based testing without undermining the credibility of results.
Stakeholders must also take note. Governments should invest in better-trained teachers, improved facilities, and fair funding for public schools. Students, too, must accept that new anti-cheating measures like paper serialisation and CBTs are here to stay.
This year’s fiasco should be a turning point. Education is too important for these kinds of blunders — and WAEC can’t afford another.
