The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the provisional results of candidates who sat for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates.
A total of 512,862 candidates from 1,022 schools were registered for the examination, comprising 225,270 males and 287,592 females.
The 2026 entry figure represents an 11.07 per cent increase over the 461,736 candidates who registered for the examination in 2025.
According to WAEC, candidates may access their results through the Council’s website, while heads of schools will be provided with login details to access the results of their candidates.
Performance
In the four core subjects, Social Studies recorded the highest pass rate, with 78.04 per cent of candidates obtaining grades A1 to C6.
English Language recorded a 62.40 per cent pass rate, while 60.75 per cent of candidates obtained grades A1 to C6 in Core Mathematics.
For Integrated Science, 62.08 per cent of candidates obtained grades A1 to C6.
The four-year performance statistics show that English Language recorded a progressive decline, falling from 73.11 per cent in 2023 to 62.40 per cent in 2026.
Core Mathematics, however, improved from 48.73 per cent in 2025 to 60.75 per cent in 2026. Integrated Science also improved from 57.74 per cent in 2025 to 62.08 per cent, while Social Studies recorded a significant improvement from 55.82 per cent in 2025 to 78.04 per cent in 2026.
Thousands of results cancelled or withheld
WAEC has also cancelled or withheld the results of thousands of candidates following investigations into examination irregularities.
The Council said the subject results of 7,434 candidates have been cancelled for bringing foreign materials, including prepared notes, textbooks and printed materials, into examination halls.
The entire results of 861 candidates have also been cancelled for possessing mobile phones in examination halls.
In addition, the subject results of 957 candidates and the entire results of 270 candidates have been withheld for various suspected offences.
WAEC further disclosed that some subject results involving candidates from 169 schools remain withheld over alleged collusion.
The Council said investigations into those cases are ongoing and the withheld results could either be released or cancelled depending on the outcome of the investigations.
WAEC has set October 30, 2026 as the date by which the investigations are expected to be concluded.
Candidates whose results have been cancelled or withheld have been advised to visit the Council’s irregularity and investigations portal for details on the reasons for the action and the next steps.
WAEC has also cautioned candidates and the public against fraudsters who claim they can upgrade examination results for a fee, stressing that its results are secured and can be authenticated through its results verification system.
The Council urged candidates to make use of the WAEC QR code and official verification channels to authenticate their results.
By: Bernard Mensah
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