Outrage as WAEC WASSCE Exams Run Into Night, Trigger Fresh Concerns

Outrage as WAEC WASSCE Exams Run Into Night, Trigger Fresh Concerns

LAGOS — The ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) has been disrupted by widespread delays in parts of Lagos, forcing candidates to sit for papers late into the night and reigniting concerns over examination logistics and student welfare.

The examination, conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), reportedly suffered repeated delays across several centres, particularly on Lagos Island and the Lekki axis, where candidates waited hours beyond scheduled times before beginning their papers.

The development has drawn criticism from parents, school administrators and education stakeholders, coming barely a year after similar disruptions saw students writing examinations as late as midnight in some centres.

According to checks at multiple centres, the delays became more severe earlier in the week, affecting core subjects including Physics and Mathematics.

On Monday, Physics Papers 1 and 2, scheduled for 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., reportedly did not start on time, with some candidates only beginning and completing the second paper around 8 p.m.

On Wednesday, candidates writing General Mathematics also experienced prolonged delays. The morning essay paper, scheduled for 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, and the objective paper slated for 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., were reportedly not completed until around 10 p.m. in some centres.

By Thursday evening, candidates scheduled for the Agricultural Science Practical were still waiting for examination materials several hours after the expected start time, with reports indicating that question papers had not arrived at some centres.

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A school principal, who spoke anonymously, described the situation as distressing and harmful to candidates’ performance.

“Why are we experiencing this again after what happened last year? Apart from the security concerns in the country, these delays have psychological effects on candidates,” the principal said, noting that students were being forced to write exams late at night after long hours of waiting.

A parent in the Lekki area also expressed frustration, saying the recurring delays showed that lessons had not been learned from previous examination cycles.

“My child returned home around 10 p.m. on Wednesday. We expected improvement after last year, but the same issues are happening again,” he said.

The situation has also sparked widespread reactions on social media, where parents and concerned citizens lamented poor coordination, delayed arrival of examination materials, and alleged lapses in supervision at some centres.

Some users claimed that candidates were left waiting for hours before invigilators arrived, while others raised concerns about unofficial fees allegedly demanded in some centres for examination materials such as mathematical sets. These claims, however, remain unverified.

Education stakeholders have warned that repeated night-time examinations could expose students to safety risks, reduce concentration levels, and undermine the credibility of the WASSCE examination process.

A WAEC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed awareness of the disruptions and attributed them to unforeseen logistical challenges.

“Yes, we are aware of some hitches due to unforeseen circumstances. However, we are doing everything possible to address the issues, and hopefully, things will return to normal soon,” the official said.

However, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has yet to issue a formal public statement detailing the causes of the delays or outlining corrective measures.

Stakeholders are now calling on WAEC to urgently investigate the recurring logistical failures, improve coordination with security and logistics partners, and ensure strict adherence to examination timetables to prevent further disruption.

Education analysts warn that unless systemic issues are addressed, repeated delays could continue to affect candidates’ performance and erode public confidence in the examination system.

Outrage as WAEC WASSCE Exams Run Into Night, Trigger Fresh Concerns