School administrators across Nigeria have raised alarms over suspected grading errors in the newly released 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results for school candidates, with some calling for an independent review of the examination process.
Grading Irregularities Alleged in Core Subjects
Sam Abdulazeez, Director of Impact House Model Schools in Mowe, Ogun State, told media that his school's results in core subjects had dropped sharply in both 2025 and 2026, despite improvements in staffing, facilities, and exam preparation. He said the school recorded only about three or four A1 grades in Mathematics among 69 candidates, a stark contrast to its previous near-perfect performance.
Abdulazeez recalled that all 45 candidates presented in 2024 earned A1 in Mathematics. By 2026, the picture had changed. Of 69 candidates, only about three or four earned A1 in the subject. "In Mathematics, we had children who had up to 98 in Mathematics during UTME. Now, the As we had in Mathematics, maybe about three or four out of 69. This is a school that we usually have almost everybody having A1 in Math," he said.
Strong JAMB Performance Contradicts WASSCE Results
Abdulazeez also flagged weak English Language results, with most candidates scoring B2 or B3. "Out of the 69, I think we have three credits, and all others are B2, B3," he said. He pointed to the students' JAMB performance as evidence that preparation was not the issue. Over 30 of the school's 69 JAMB candidates scored above 300, and none scored below 200. The school ran 22 mock UTME sessions to familiarise students with the computer environment before the actual examination.
CBT Technical Failures and Serialisation Concerns
Abdulazeez said WAEC conducted a mock CBT exercise at the school ahead of the exam, but the systems failed to connect to WAEC's server on the first attempt, and the second attempt also proved unsuccessful. After contacting WAEC officials in both Ogun State and Lagos, the school received approval to conduct a paper-based exam, even though it had already been registered on the CBT platform.
He also raised concerns about serialisation, the use of different exam paper variants across candidates. "We saw it in the subjects that have serialisation, like Mathematics, like English, Economics, and Biology," he said, adding that results in subjects without heavy serialisation were comparatively better.
Grade Changes Observed on Result Portal
Abdulazeez further disclosed that the school noticed grade changes on the result portal after the 2025 results were initially published. "Those who they gave B had moved to A1. Those who they gave C moved to B last year," he said. He had anticipated similar corrections to the 2026 results, but none came.
A second school administrator, who chose to remain anonymous, said some students with strong JAMB scores and previously verified academic records received D7, E8, and F9 grades in core WASSCE subjects this year. Two of those students, he said, had already been offered admission to the University of Ibadan.
Calls for Independent Review
Educationist Fola Adekeye urged WAEC to ensure that its examination processes and results could withstand scrutiny. Abdulazeez echoed the call for an independent review. "If the schools and the examining bodies cannot conduct the exam properly, it should not affect these children and their future," he said.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is facing mounting pressure to review its 2026 WASSCE results, with school administrators and education advocates alleging grading irregularities tied to the council's expanded Computer-Based Testing (CBT) rollout. The impact of these alleged irregularities could affect students' university admissions and future academic prospects, as seen in the case of the two students already admitted to the University of Ibadan who were recorded as failing Mathematics and English Language.
