2025 WASSCE pass rate jumps to 63% after updating results

2025 WASSCE pass rate jumps to 63% after updating results

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released a revised version of the 2025 WASSCE results, significantly boosting the overall candidate performance after discovering and correcting a grading mishap.

The Council announced that 62.96% of school candidates in Nigeria now have credits in at least five core subjects, including English Language and Mathematics — a sharp rise from the initially reported 38.32%.

Dr. Amos Dangut, WAEC’s Head of National Office, addressed the development at a press conference on Friday, attributing the change to an internal review that uncovered technical errors in the grading process.

“In total, 1,794,821 candidates or 91.14% secured credits in at least five subjects with or without English and Mathematics.
The results of 191,053 candidates, representing 9.7% of the total, remain withheld over various cases of examination malpractice, which are under investigation,” Dangut said.

He clarified that schools using the Computer-Based Test (CBT) format were not impacted by the glitch. The grading issue stemmed from the use of an incorrect serialised code file affecting subjects like Mathematics, English, Biology, and Economics during result processing.

Following the correction, 1,239,884 students now meet the benchmark of securing five credits including English and Mathematics, representing 62.96% of all candidates.

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WAEC had earlier released the original results on August 4, showing that only 38.32% achieved this standard — a staggering 33.8% drop compared to the previous year. That initial release triggered concern among stakeholders across the education sector.

The Council reported that a total of 1,969,313 candidates sat for the exam this year, made up of 976,787 males and 992,526 females. Prior to the revision, 1,718,090 candidates (87.24%) had earned five credits, regardless of subject combination.

However, 192,089 results were initially withheld due to alleged examination misconduct, including organised cheating and the use of mobile phones during exams. Investigations are still ongoing, and affected candidates will be informed through their respective schools.

Dr. Dangut acknowledged the confusion caused by the error and issued a public apology.
“We are doing everything we can to ensure that such a dismal situation does not recur.

We acknowledge the emotional ordeal that candidates, parents, teachers, school administrators, ministries of Education, the media, and other well-meaning stakeholders must have had to deal with,” he said.

WAEC is advising candidates to check their updated results on the official portal, www.waecdirect.org, and noted that digital certificates will be accessible within 48 hours of result confirmation.

In addition, the Council appealed to state governments with outstanding debts to settle them promptly so that the results of affected students can be released without further delay.

2025 WASSCE pass rate jumps to 63% after updating results