The West African Examinations Council, WAEC, delayed the results of 365,564 applicants who took this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, due to suspicions of examination fraud.
Of the 1,601,047 test takers overall, the withheld results represent 22.83 percent of them.
This information was provided on Monday by Mr. Patrick Areghan, Head of the Nigerian National Office of WAEC, during a breakdown of candidate performance in Lagos.
“The analysis of the statistics of the performance of candidates in the examination shows that out of the 1,601,047 candidates that sat for the examination, 1,409,529 candidates, representing 88.04%, obtained credit and above in a minimum of any five (5) subjects (i.e with or without English Language and/ or Mathematics.
“Also, 1,222,505) candidates, representing 76.36%, obtained credits and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
“Of this number, 597,811 i.e. 37.34% were male candidates, while 624,694 i.e. 39.02% were female candidates. The percentage of candidates in this category in the WASSCE for school candidates, 2021, that is, those who obtained credit and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, was 81.70%. Thus, there is 5.34% decrease in performance in this regard,” Areghan explained.
The WAEC boss noted that 1,713 special needs candidates sat for 2022 WASSCE.
He said: “I wish to report that a total of 1,713 candidates, with varying degrees of Special Needs, registered for the examination. Out of this number, 128 were visually challenged, 583 had impaired hearing; 387 were spastic cum mentally challenged and 12 were physically challenged. All these candidates were adequately provided for in the administration of the examination.
“The results of these candidates have been processed and are also now being released along with those of other candidates.”he stated.
The organisation did, however, highlight some of the difficulties it overcame, namely the need to ensure that applicants in the South East and North West who were impacted by security concerns take the exam on a later date and that their results were also made public.
Areghan commented on the rise in irregularities by saying, “The results of 365,564 candidates, or 22.83 percent of all candidates who took the examination, are being withheld in connection with various reported incidences of examination malpractice.
The difference between this and the 10.9 percent seen in the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2021 is (11.74%). The causes behind this are not implausible. The candidates are no longer capable of learning.