WASSCE 2025 Results: Candidates Perform Poorly In English, Maths

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on Monday released the results of the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) for school-based candidates, with data showing poor performance in English and Mathematics.

According to the Head of Nigeria’s Office (HNO) of WAEC, Amos Dangut, there was a decline in the percentage of those who obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

He revealed at a press briefing in Lagos on Monday that out of the 1,969,313 candidates who sat the examination, only 754,545 candidates, representing 38.32 per cent, secured credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

Dangut explained that the examination, which was done via CBT and pen-on-paper, was serialised to tackle the scourge of exam malpractice. He added that some results were withheld for some of those reasons, and candidates are allowed to seek redress in the court of law.

The HNO noted that 1,718,090 candidates representing 87.24%, obtained credit and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects (i.e. with or without English Language and/or Mathematics).

In Nigeria, for instance, to be eligible for admission into tertiary institutions, obtaining credits in five relevant subjects, including English and Mathematics, in Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE), is mandatory.

“The analysis of statistics of candidates’ performance in the examination shows that out of the 1,969,313 candidates that sat the examination, 1,718,090 candidates, representing 87.24%, obtained credit and above in a minimum of any five (5) subjects (i.e. with or without English Language and/or Mathematics). 754,545 candidates, representing 38.32%, obtained credits and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. Of this number, 347,192, 46.01% were male, while 407,353, 53.99% were female.

“A comparison of the percentage of candidates in this category in WASSCE for School 2024 and 2025, reveal that in this year’s (2025) WASSCE, there is 33.8% decrease in performance (that is, those who obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, was 72.12%), he stated.

The HNO who spoke on the results stated that of the 1,969,313 candidates who sat the examination, 976,787 were males while 992,526 were females, representing 49.60% and 50.40%, respectively. 1,517,517 candidates, representing 77.06%, have their results fully processed and released, while 451,796 candidates, representing 22.94%, have one or more of their subjects still being processed due to some issues to be resolved.

“Efforts are, however, being made to speedily complete the processes to enhance the release of the affected candidates’ results within a couple of days. As WASSCE for School Candidates, 2025 results are uploaded on the results website. Candidates should check the result online and apply for their Digital certificate, which will be released 48 hours thereafter.

“Candidates who have fulfilled their financial obligations to the Council can access their results on the Council’s results website: www.waecdirect.org, within the next twelve hours. Copies of the Result Listing will be sent to schools shortly.

“I need not restate that the results of candidates sponsored by States indebted to the Council will not be released now until payment is made. We appeal to the concerned to do what is necessary to enable the affected schools/candidates to access their results.”

As the mass failure in the critical subjects goes below the candidates’ performance during the COVID-19 pandemic period, when there was lockdown, observers feel that it may not be unconnected to the logistic problem encountered by the examination body during the conduct of the examination in May, which saw students kept at centres late into the night.

Available statistics showed that when WAEC results were released in November 2020, 65.24 per cent of candidates who took part in the examinations secured credits in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. This represented a better performance than in 2019, when 64.18 per cent of the candidates secured a similar pass rate.

In 2023, the examination body said 79.81 per cent of its candidates got credits in five subjects, including English and Mathematics.