The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced that it withheld 7,192 results of candidates, who wrote the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination for private candidates across Nigeria for various cases of examination malpractice.
WAEC said that out of the total number of 80,904 candidates that sat the examination, 39,790 were males while 41,114 were females, representing 49.18% and 50.82%, respectively.
A statement signed by the acting Head, Public Affairs, WAEC Nigeria, Moyosola F. Adesina, for the Head of the National Office on Tuesday evening, said the seized results represent 8.89% of the total number of candidates that sat the examination.
According to the statement, the cases are being investigated and reports of the investigations would be presented to the appropriate Committee of the Council for consideration.
It noted, however, that the Committee’s decisions would be communicated directly to the affected candidates at the end of its investigations.
According to the statement, “Out of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, 78,419 candidates, representing 96.93% have their results fully processed and released while 2,485 candidates, representing 3.07% have a few of their subjects still being processed due to some errors traceable to them.
“However, efforts are being made to speedily complete the processing to enable all the affected candidates to get their results fully processed and released, soon.”
It said 46,267 candidates representing 57.19% obtained credit and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects (with or without English Language and/or Mathematics).
Also, according to the examination body, 35,830 candidates representing 44.29% obtained credit and above in a minimum of FIVE (5) subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
It said, “Of this number, seventeen thousand, six hundred and thirty-one (17,631) i.e., 49.21% were male candidates, while eighteen thousand, one hundred and ninety-nine (18,199), i.e., 50.79% were female candidates.
“The percentage of candidates in this category in WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2021 and 2022 Second Series, that is, those who obtained credit and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, were 48.61% and 42.16% respectively. Thus, there is a marginal increase of 2.13% in performance in this regard.
“This analysis, however, cannot be compared with that of WASSCE for School Candidates. Whereas the candidates in WASSCE for School Candidates are compelled to sit eight or nine subjects, the candidates in WASSCE for Private Candidates, though can register for eight or nine subjects, are not compelled to take all.
“They are free to sit, even one subject, depending on the deficiency they want to remedy. For them, therefore, the examination is only a remedial one – a remedy for an existing deficiency. From the above, it will not be true or fair to say that the performance in this examination has dwindled.
“The results of seven thousand, one hundred and ninety-two (7,192) candidates, representing 8.89% of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, are being withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice.
“The cases are being investigated and reports of the investigations will be presented to the appropriate Committee of the Council for consideration. Thereafter, the Committee’s decisions will be communicated directly to the affected candidates.”
It noted that examination was conducted in Nigeria between Friday, October 27, 2023 and Wednesday, December 20, 2023.
“The Coordination of Examiners and Marking of Candidates’ Scripts were carried out at SEVEN (7) Marking Venues in Lagos, Ibadan, Akure, Benin, Enugu, Uyo, and Kaduna from Tuesday, January 16, to Tuesday, January 30, 2024. A total of four thousand one hundred and sixty-two (4,162) Examiners participated in the Coordination and Marking Exercise,” it added.
“Eighty-five thousand, six hundred (85,600) candidates, representing 10.07% increase, when compared with the 2022 entry figure of seventy-seven thousand, seven hundred and sixty-eight (77,768), entered for the examination, while eighty thousand, nine hundred and four (80,904) candidates sat the examination at five hundred and sixty-eight (568) centres spread across the nooks and crannies of the country.”
