The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released its 2025 WASSCE results, showing the worst student performance in five years, sparking concerns among education stakeholders, parents, and experts.
Only 754,545 out of 1,969,313 candidates representing just 38.32% secured five credits including English Language and Mathematics, a sharp drop from 72.12% recorded in 2024.
At a press briefing in Lagos, WAEC’s Head of National Office (HNO), Amos Dangut, confirmed the staggering 33.8% decline, attributing it to the introduction of new anti-malpractice measures such as Computer-Based Testing (CBT) and serialisation of objective papers.
“This innovation was meant to curb malpractice,” Dangut explained.
“But many candidates failed to follow instructions, and in some cases copied from each other despite being assigned different versions of question papers.”
He added that the poor performance was especially evident in subjects like English Language, Mathematics, Biology, and Economics where the serialisation method was applied.
1,973,365 candidates registered from 23,554 schools; 1,969,313 sat for the exams.
992,526 females (50.4%) and 976,787 males (49.6%) participated.
Results of 192,089 candidates (9.75%) were withheld due to malpractice, down from 11.92% in 2024.
77.06% had their results fully processed; 22.94% are still being resolved.
Candidates also came from WAEC-accredited Nigerian curriculum schools in Benin Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea.
Special needs candidates included 112 visually impaired, 615 with hearing difficulties, and 89 with physical or mental challenges — all of whom received accommodations during the exam.
Historical data shows the downward trend:
2020: 65.24% pass rate
2021: 81.7%
2022: 76.36%
2023: 79.81%
2024: 72.12%
2025: 38.32%
WAEC insists this year’s results reflect a more honest outcome, with fewer cases of malpractice due to stricter supervision and computerisation.
Former Dean of Education, UNILAG, Prof. Monday Ubamgha, blamed the poor performance on unmotivated teachers, lack of preparation, and digital illiteracy among rural students.
“No system can rise above its teachers,” he said.
“Many teachers are part-time hustlers, unprepared for class. Students spend more time on Facebook and Instagram than on academics.”
Educationist Dr. Nelson Ayodele agreed, noting that the CBT method caught many schools off guard.
“Schools failed to adjust to the new system. With less room for malpractice, students were exposed. Many aren’t tech-savvy and were overwhelmed by CBT,” he said.
He urged schools to return to the basics: finishing syllabi, motivating teachers, and guiding students away from social media distractions.
He also called on parents to invest in useful technology instead of gadgets like PlayStations.
“A functional laptop can help more than any gaming console,” he said.
Nike Ogunjobi, a teen counselor, said social media, lack of reading culture, and uncommitted teachers were at the root of the crisis.
“Students scroll endlessly instead of studying,” she said. “Many teachers are only in the profession for survival. They lack passion and training.”
She urged a renewed focus on nurturing values and providing professional development for teachers.
Kehinde Michael, a student in Ogun State, blamed tight timing during exams and the structure of English Language questions.
“Many students failed English due to wrong letter formats and confusion in the objective section,” he said.
Abdullahi Umaru noted that fear of calculations hinders many students in Mathematics: “The problem begins in primary school. Many students never overcome their fear.”
Mrs. Adeyemi Grace, a parent, urged WAEC to reconsider CBT and demanded teacher retraining.
“Our children need better preparation and digital literacy,” she said.
“This year’s result is a wake-up call.”
