WAEC Announces 2025 Private WASSCE Results with Notable Performance Drop
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has officially released the results for the 2025 Second Series of the Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates. This announcement, made in a statement by the council's Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, reveals a significant decline in overall performance compared to the previous year, sparking discussions in the education sector.
Performance Statistics Show Decrease in Credit Achievements
According to WAEC, only 42.17 percent of candidates obtained credit passes in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. This figure represents a substantial drop from the 53.64 percent recorded in 2024, marking an 11.47 percentage point decrease. The council noted that this performance trend has been fluctuating, with 44.29 percent achieving this benchmark in 2023. In total, 65,752 candidates sat for the examination across 370 centers nationwide, out of which 27,727 met the five-credit requirement with English and Math.
Gender Analysis Highlights Female Candidates Outperforming Males
The results also highlighted a gender disparity, with female candidates recording stronger outcomes than their male counterparts. Of the 65,752 candidates, 33,747 were female and 32,005 were male. Among those who secured five credits including English and Mathematics, 14,311 were female compared to 13,416 males. Additionally, 33,989 candidates, representing 51.69 percent, achieved at least five credit passes with or without English and Mathematics, indicating a broader performance metric beyond the core subjects.
Examination Details and Result Processing
The 2025 private WASSCE was conducted between November 11 and December 17, 2025, with 69,604 candidates registering, reflecting a 1.8 percent increase from the 68,342 recorded in 2024. WAEC disclosed that results for 61,943 candidates, or 94.21 percent of those who sat the examination, have been fully processed and released. However, 3,809 candidates have some subjects pending due to errors, and the council is working to resolve these issues promptly. Furthermore, 1,899 candidates had their results withheld over alleged examination malpractice, with investigations ongoing and final decisions to be communicated later.
Context and Government Measures
WAEC emphasized that performance data from private candidates should not be directly compared to school candidates, as the private examination serves individuals outside the formal school system. In related news, the federal government has introduced new measures to tackle examination malpractice in key assessments like the Senior School Certificate Examination, affecting WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB. Candidates are advised to check their results online and access digital certificates, with hard copies available through WAEC's certificate portal.
