The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2026 Computer Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (CB WASSCE) for school candidates, with 1,200,514 candidates representing 61.54 per cent obtaining a minimum of five credits, including English Language and Mathematics.

The results were announced on Wednesday by the Head of the Nigeria National Office of WAEC, Dr. Amos Josiah Dangut, during a press briefing at the council’s national office in Yaba, Lagos.

Dangut described the conduct of the examination as another milestone in WAEC’s digital transformation agenda, noting that the council has further consolidated its position as the first examining body in Africa to successfully conduct a computer based achievement examination for school candidates.

Over 1.95 million candidates sat examination

According to the WAEC boss, a total of 1,959,668 candidates from 24,207 secondary schools registered for the examination.

He said 1,950,726 candidates eventually sat for the examination, which was conducted over an eight-week period between April 24 and June 19, 2026.

Dangut disclosed that 1,834,695 candidates, representing 94.05 per cent of those who wrote the examination, have had their results fully processed and released.

He added that the remaining 116,031 results are still being processed due to unresolved issues, assuring affected candidates that the results would be released once the necessary procedures are completed.

61.54 per cent obtain benchmark requirement

Providing a breakdown of the performance, Dangut said 1,200,514 candidates, representing 61.54 per cent, obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, the minimum requirement for admission into most tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

The performance, he noted, reflects the continued resilience of candidates despite the challenges encountered during the examination period.

Education stakeholders are expected to study the results in the coming weeks to assess performance trends and identify areas requiring further intervention to improve learning outcomes.

167,486 results withheld over malpractice

The council also announced that 167,486 candidates, representing 8.59 per cent of the total number of candidates who sat for the examination, had their results withheld over alleged involvement in examination malpractice.

Dangut explained that the cases are currently under investigation by the appropriate committees of the council.

He, however, noted that the figure represents a 1.11 per cent reduction compared to the previous year’s record, describing the development as an indication that ongoing efforts to curb examination malpractice are yielding positive results.

The WAEC chief warned that the council would continue to impose appropriate sanctions on candidates, schools, supervisors and invigilators found guilty of violating examination regulations.

He reiterated the council’s commitment to preserving the credibility and integrity of its examinations.

WAEC introduces more digital innovations

Dangut highlighted a number of technological innovations introduced by the council to improve the conduct and administration of its examinations.

According to him, WAEC has deployed the Digital Examiner Marking System (DEMS), enhanced paper serialisation and replaced the traditional physical result checker scratch cards with an online electronic PIN generation platform.

He said the innovations are designed to improve operational efficiency, enhance security and make access to examination results faster and more convenient for candidates.

The council, he added, remains committed to leveraging technology to strengthen the credibility of its assessment processes and improve service delivery.

Challenges encountered

Despite the successful conduct of the examination, Dangut acknowledged that the council encountered several operational challenges.

He listed logistics delays, rising operational costs occasioned by inflation, late registration by some schools and the activities of rogue websites circulating fake examination questions as some of the issues experienced during the exercise.

He commended the Federal Government, security agencies, school administrators, supervisors, invigilators and other stakeholders for their support, which he said contributed significantly to the successful conduct of the examination nationwide.

Result checking begins immediately

Dangut announced that candidates whose results have been released can begin checking them through WAEC’s online result portal.

He further disclosed that digital certificates for successful candidates will become available within 48 hours after checking their results online, while hard-copy certificates will be ready for collection within 90 days.

He urged candidates to ignore fraudulent websites and individuals claiming to upgrade or alter examination results, stressing that the council’s official online platforms remain the only legitimate channels for accessing examination results and certificates.

The release of the 2026 CB WASSCE results marks another significant step in WAEC’s transition to technology-driven assessment and underscores the council’s determination to improve the credibility, efficiency and accessibility of public examinations in Nigeria.