WAEC faces growing criticism over 2026 WASSCE results amid allegations of grading anomalies
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is confronting intense public scrutiny following the release of its 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results, with educators and advocacy groups citing severe grading inconsistencies and technical glitches linked to the expanded Computer-Based Testing (CBT) rollout.
School administrators across Nigeria have raised concerns over unexpected grade drops among high-performing students who previously recorded outstanding scores in other standardised assessments like the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Educators highlight stark performance disparities
Speaking on the issue, Sam Abdulazeez, Director of Impact House Model Schools in Ogun State, noted that despite extensive preparations and a history of top performance, his candidates experienced an unprecedented drop in WASSCE grades in core subjects like Mathematics and English.
“Out of the 69 children we presented for JAMB, over 30 had scores above 300,” Abdulazeez explained. “Yet in WASSCE Mathematics, where we usually recorded almost universal A1 grades in past years, only about three or four candidates secured A1 this year.”
Other administrators corroborated these concerns, noting that high-scoring UTME candidates and previously verified top performers were unexpectedly assigned failing or pass grades (D7, E8, and F9) in major subjects.
Legal demands and calls for independent audit
In response to the complaints, legal firm Zuriel Law Practice, representing the Initiative for School Excellence and Education Foundation (ISEE), issued a formal 14-day demand to WAEC.
The advocacy group requested the immediate preservation of server logs, database trails, and candidate response records, warning of legal action if an independent audit of the CBT scoring platform is not granted.
ISEE founder Alex Onyia urged the council to maintain transparency by publishing raw-score distributions and grade thresholds across major subjects to justify the outcomes.
WAEC defends examination integrity
In defence of the council, WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, dismissed the allegations, asserting that the 2026 WASSCE results were processed through multi-tiered marking, moderation, and auditing procedures overseen by vetted subject experts.
The examination body urged candidates and institutions with grievances to follow official administrative channels for result verification rather than relying on claims on social media.
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