The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced the release of the results of its West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates which was conducted between 27 October and 20 December 2023.

The examination body disclosed this Tuesday night via a statement signed by the Acting Head of its Public Affairs Department, Moyosore Adesina, a copy of which was obtained by INTEGRITY NEWS.

According to the statement, a total of 85,600 candidates registered for the examination but 80,904 sat the examinations in 568 centres across the country.

Of the figure that sat the examination, WAEC said a total of 39,790, amounting to 49.18 per cent were males, while 41,114, representing 50.82 per cent were females.

According to the released result statistics in the examination, a total of 78,419 candidates, representing 96.93 per cent “have their results fully processed and released while 2,485 candidates, representing 3.07 per cent have a few of their subjects still being processed due to some errors traceable to them.”

WAEC, however, said, “Efforts are being made to speedily complete the processing to enable all the affected candidates to get their results fully processed and released, soon.”

Meanwhile, in the pass rate, admission into tertiary institutions is determined by results obtained in examinations such as Senior School Certificate Examinations including WASSCE conducted by WAEC. These tertiary institutions expect candidates to obtain credits in five relevant subjects including English Language and Mathematics.

Thus out of the figure that sat the examination, WAEC noted that only a total of 35,830 candidates representing 44.29 per cent obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

The examination body said out of the 35,830 candidates who secured credits in five subjects including English Language and Mathematics, a total of 17,631, representing 49.21 per cent were male candidates, while 18,199, representing 50.79 per cent were female candidates.

Meanwhile, WAEC further added that the figure of candidates who secured credits in five subjects with or without English Language and, or Mathematics is 46,267, representing 57.19 per cent.

WAEC, however, said the pass rate analysis cannot be compared with that of WASSCE for school candidates, noting that while the former only choose the number of subjects to write on their own, school candidates are compelled to sit eight or night subjects compulsorily.

“…The candidates in WASSCE for Private Candidates, though can register for eight or nine subjects, are not compelled to take all. They are free to sit, even one subject, depending on the deficiency they want to remedy. For them, therefore, the examination is only a remedial one – a remedy for an existing deficiency. From the above, it will not be true or fair to say that the performance in this examination has dwindled,” WAEC said.

The examination body may be reacting to the performance of school candidates’ examinations which has continued to hover around 75 per cent in the recent time. Also, candidates who sit the school WASSCE are usually more than one million and sometimes the figure is as high as 1.5 million.r

Also, the withheld results for allegedly committing certain infractions, WAEC said a total of 7,192 candidates, representing 8.89 per cent of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, are being withheld.

“The cases are being investigated and reports of the investigations will be presented to the appropriate Committee of the Council for consideration. Thereafter, the committee’s decisions will be communicated directly to the affected candidates,” the examination body said.

It advised candidates to check their results by visiting its website, while also urging them to confirm their status before visiting the digital certificate platform to access the digital copies of their certificates, “which have been released along with their results.”

For the Candidates with special needs, WAEC said out of the 80,904 candidates who sat the examinations, a total of 211 were with varying degrees of special needs, noting that 33 were visually challenged; 21 had impaired hearing and 30 were Albinos.

“All these candidates with special needs were adequately provided for in the administration of the examination,” WAEC noted.

END.