WAEC Under Fire: 2025 WASSCE Records Worst Results in 5 Years, Sparks Public Outrage

RYNI News | Omotayo Stephen . O
7 August 2025

In a dramatic and deeply troubling turn of events, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has come under intense national scrutiny following the release of the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results—the worst performance recorded in the past five years. The figures have not only stunned stakeholders but also ignited widespread protests, digital outrage, and an avalanche of unanswered questions.

Out of the 1,969,313 students who sat for the examination between April and June, only 754,545 candidates (38.32%) managed to secure credit passes in at least five subjects including Mathematics and English Language—a jaw-dropping plunge from the 72.12% pass rate recorded just a year ago in 2024. The 33.8 percentage point decline has set off alarm bells across the country.

The wave of anger and disbelief has swept through households, schools, and the education sector at large. In states such as Lagos, Rivers, and Kano, frustrated parents have taken to WAEC liaison offices in protest, demanding explanations for either partially released or completely withheld results. “This isn’t just failure—it’s sabotage,” exclaimed Mrs. Nwosu, a parent protesting in Port Harcourt. “Our children are not statistics. They deserve better.”

WAEC’s Head of National Office, Mr. Amos Dangut, acknowledged the steep drop in performance during a press conference in Lagos, attributing it to the Council’s stepped-up efforts to combat malpractice. Key among these was the serialisation of objective papers in Mathematics, English Language, Biology, and Economics, making it more difficult for candidates to copy from one another.

But many stakeholders argue that this crackdown, while necessary, has exposed deeper systemic weaknesses and collateral damage in WAEC’s approach. “We support exam integrity, but the sudden collapse in pass rates suggests poor preparedness, not just by students, but perhaps also by the examination system itself,” said a secondary school principal in Kaduna.

Fueling further tensions is the fact that 262,803 candidates (13.34%) have had their results withheld over alleged exam malpractice, while 451,796 candidates are still waiting for results in one or more subjects due to technical or procedural issues.

In some regions, like Anambra, allegations of preferential treatment have emerged. An anonymous whistleblower claimed that a private school notorious for aiding exam cheating recorded near-perfect results—raising suspicions about the consistency of WAEC’s enforcement.

Meanwhile, thousands of students complained of server failures and portal downtime, leaving many unable to access their results online. Social media erupted with hashtags like reflecting a nationwide sense of betrayal.

Amid the chaos, WAEC noted that 12,178 candidates with special needs also participated in the exam and that their results have been processed and released. Still, this silver lining does little to overshadow the storm.

Education stakeholders are now demanding a transparent audit, improved communication strategies, and urgent reform within WAEC. For a generation of students caught in the crossfire, the academic uncertainty is deeply unsettling.

As public confidence in Nigeria’s premier examination body falters, the release of the 2025 WASSCE results may go down as not just a statistical anomaly—but a national crisis that could redefine the future of standardized testing in the country.

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