WAEC 2026 Results Released: 61.54% Pass WASSCE Benchmark as 167,486 Results Withheld Over Malpractice

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2026 Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (CB-WASSCE) for school candidates, with 61.54 per cent of candidates achieving credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

The results were announced on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, by the Head of WAEC Nigeria National Office, Dr Amos Josiah Dangut, during a press briefing in Lagos.

According to WAEC, 1,200,514 candidates out of the 1,950,726 who sat the examination obtained the required five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, a benchmark commonly required for admission into tertiary institutions.

The performance represents a slight decline from the 62.96 per cent recorded in the 2025 examination, reflecting a 1.42 percentage-point drop.

A total of 1,959,668 candidates from 24,207 schools across Nigeria, Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea registered for the 2026 examination, which was conducted between April 24 and June 19, 2026.

The 2026 CB-WASSCE was the second year WAEC conducted the school candidates’ examination using the computer-based format as the council continues its transition from the traditional paper-based examination system.

WAEC disclosed that 1,687,378 candidates, representing 86.50 per cent of participants, obtained credits in a minimum of five subjects, with or without English Language and Mathematics.

Among candidates who achieved five credits including English Language and Mathematics, 558,883 (28.65 per cent) were male, while 641,631 (32.89 per cent) were female.

The examination recorded 953,459 male candidates, representing 48.88 per cent of participants, while female candidates accounted for 997,267, representing 51.12 per cent.

The examination body also revealed that 1,834,695 candidates, representing 94.05 per cent, have had their results fully processed and released, while 116,031 results, representing 5.95 per cent, are still being processed and will be released soon.

The marking exercise was conducted by 102,708 examiners across 88 marking centres between July 2 and July 20, 2026.

Meanwhile, WAEC withheld the results of 167,486 candidates over alleged examination malpractice, representing 8.59 per cent of candidates who sat the examination.

Dr Dangut said the figure was lower than the 9.7 per cent recorded in 2025, but noted that examination malpractice remained a major concern.

He identified the use of mobile phones inside examination halls despite the existing ban and organised cheating in some schools as major reasons behind the withheld results.

According to him, some supervisors and invigilators caught assisting candidates during the examination have been arrested and will face disciplinary measures through the relevant state ministries of education.

WAEC urged candidates affected by withheld results not to panic, explaining that a withheld result does not automatically mean cancellation.

The council advised affected candidates to contact their school principals or examination officers for guidance and submit official representations through WAEC’s examination malpractice complaint platform where necessary.

Candidates who participated in the 2026 WASSCE can now check their results through WAEC’s official result-checking platforms.

To access their results, candidates are required to obtain their result-checking PIN and serial number, visit the WAEC result portal, provide their examination number and use the same National Identification Number (NIN) submitted during registration.

WAEC stated that digital certificates would be available for download within 48 hours after candidates check their results, while hard-copy certificates are expected to be ready within about 90 days.

The examination council also warned Nigerians against a fake document circulating online that allegedly listed schools whose results were withheld over malpractice.

WAEC said the viral letter, which mentioned schools in Lagos, Ogun and other states and demanded reports within 14 days, was fake and should be ignored.

The council advised candidates, parents and schools to rely only on official WAEC communication channels for accurate information.

It added that results from schools or states with outstanding financial obligations to WAEC would remain withheld until the debts are cleared.

The release of the 2026 WASSCE results highlights the continued adoption of computer-based examinations while underscoring the ongoing challenge of tackling examination malpractice across Nigeria and other participating countries.