The results of 215,267 applicants who took part in the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) have been withheld by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
Examinee fraud is a worry, as this number represents 11.92% of the 1,805,216 applicants who took the test.
The 2024 WASSCE took place on April 30, 2024, and ended on June 24, 2024, in four WAEC member nations: Nigeria, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.
Dr. Amos Dangut, the head of WAEC’s Nigeria office, revealed the results that were withheld during a conference on Monday. He gave several documented cases of exam misconduct as justification for not disclosing the findings. Despite this, he pointed out that in 2024, the proportion of results delayed was 4.37% lower than in the year prior, when 16.29% of applicants were subject to comparable penalties.
Dr. Dangut speaking further, said: “The Council remains committed to upholding the integrity of its examinations.”
Continuing, he issued a warning that anyone found guilty of malpractice, including candidates, supervisors, teachers, and schools, would suffer severe consequences.
Following BrandSpur national news stories, it is pivotal to know that WAEC has consistently struggled with the malpractice issue.
Dr. Dangut emphasised that organised cheating in certain schools and the growing usage of cellphones in test rooms despite a strong ban are serious issues. He gave the assurance that all cases that have been reported are being looked into and that the relevant committee of the Council will analyse the results.
The impacted applicants will be informed of committee decisions via their individual schools. In addition, if candidates want to challenge the results, WAEC has given them a way to do so through their website.
Apart from discussing wrongdoing, Dr. Dangut also gave positive updates regarding the candidates’ overall performance. The data shows that 73.79% of applicants, with or without English language and/or mathematics, received credit or above in at least five subjects.
Out of all the candidates who took the test, this corresponds to 1,332,089 candidates.
Following their online results check 48 hours later, successful candidates can apply for their Digital Certificates, which Dr Dangut encouraged them to do.
Within the following twelve hours, candidates who have fulfilled their financial commitments to the Council can view their results on the official WAEC results website, he said. Furthermore, hard copies of the Result Listing will be sent to schools soon.
Continuing: the findings of a demanding evaluation procedure are finally available with the introduction of the 2024 WASSCE.
WAEC is still a vital tool for assessing students’ academic performance in West Africa, even in the face of difficulties in upholding examination integrity. The Council’s goal of maintaining educational standards in the area is largely dependent on its efforts to combat misconduct and improve the validity of its exams.
