By Elizabeth Osayande, LAGOS

The West African Examinations Council, WAEC, said on Wednesday that the 2026 Computer-Based WASSCE school candidates sponsored by states indebted to the Council will not be able to access their results.

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According to Head of WAEC Nigeria National Office, Dr. Amos Josiah Dangut, “I need not restate the fact that the results of candidates who are sponsored by States indebted to the Council will not be released now until payment is made.

“We appeal to the concerned to do so to enable the affected schools/candidates access their results.”

However, the Council did not name the affected states.

Withheld over exam malpractice

WAEC also withheld results of 167,486 candidates, representing 8.59%, over examination malpractice. This is 1.11% lower than the 9.7% recorded in 2025.

“The increasing use of cell phones in the examination hall, in spite of the existing ban, and organized cheating in some schools, are other nagging issues,” Dr. Dangut said. He added that supervisors and invigilators caught aiding malpractice have been apprehended.

A total of 1,213 candidates with special needs sat the exam, including 137 visually challenged and 491 with impaired hearing.

How to check results

Candidates whose results have been released can check online within 12 hours at http://www.waecdirect.org. WAEC has also launched a portal where candidates can directly generate e-PINs.

Other announcements include digital certificates available 48 hours after checking results, and hard copies ready in 90 days.

The examination was conducted from April 24 to June 19, 2026 and marked by 102,708 examiners across 88 marking venues.