The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced the release of the 2026 Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (CB-WASSCE) results, revealing that 1,200,514 candidates obtained a minimum of five credits, including English Language and Mathematics. However, the examination body also withheld the results of 167,486 candidates over alleged involvement in examination malpractice.
The results were officially released on Wednesday at WAEC’s National Office in Lagos.
Addressing journalists during the announcement, the Head of WAEC’s National Office, Dr. Amos Josiah Dangut, disclosed that the number of candidates who achieved five credits, including English and Mathematics, represents 61.54 per cent of those who sat the examination. He noted that the performance reflects a 1.42 per cent decline compared to the 2025 results.
According to the council, 1,959,668 candidates from 24,207 schools registered for the examination, which was conducted across Nigeria, the Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea. Of this figure, 1,950,726 candidates eventually participated in the examination.
WAEC further reported that 1,687,378 candidates, representing 86.50 per cent, obtained credits in at least five subjects, regardless of whether they passed English Language and Mathematics.
A gender breakdown of candidates who obtained five credits, including English and Mathematics, showed that 558,883 were male, while 641,631 were female. Overall, 953,459 male and 997,267 female candidates sat for the examination.
The council also confirmed that 1,834,695 candidates, representing 94.05 per cent, have had their results fully processed and released, while the results of 116,031 candidates (5.95 per cent) are still undergoing processing.
WAEC noted that 1,213 candidates with special needs registered for the examination. The figure includes 137 visually impaired candidates, 491 hearing-impaired candidates, 55 candidates with spastic or mental disabilities, and 41 physically challenged candidates.
On examination malpractice, the council disclosed that the results of 167,486 candidates, representing 8.59 per cent of those who sat the examination, have been withheld pending the conclusion of investigations.
Dr. Dangut attributed many of the reported malpractice cases to the persistent use of mobile phones in examination halls despite existing prohibitions, as well as organised cheating in some schools.
He also revealed that several supervisors and invigilators allegedly involved in assisting candidates during the examination had been identified and would be sanctioned through their respective State Ministries of Education.
The WAEC boss described the 2026 edition as the second Computer-Based WASSCE conducted for school candidates, highlighting the council’s continued efforts to improve examination administration through technology.
As part of these reforms, candidates can now apply for their digital certificates just 48 hours after checking their results online. WAEC also introduced the Digital Examiner Mark System (DEMS) to speed up the marking process, implemented serialised question papers to reduce examination malpractice, and launched a new platform that allows candidates to generate e-PINs directly for result checking.
Candidates can access their results through the WAEC online result portal within 12 hours, while printed certificates are expected to be available within 90 days.
