The West African Examinations Council is facing mounting questions over the credibility of some results from the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination for school candidates, following complaints of unexpected grades and alleged technical problems associated with the expanded use of Computer-Based Testing.
School administrators and education advocates have raised concerns that the performance recorded by some candidates does not correspond with their established academic records, preparation or results in other standardised examinations.
The controversy comes as WAEC continues its transition towards greater use of technology in the administration of examinations, a process intended to improve efficiency, strengthen examination security and reduce malpractice.
Speaking on the concerns on Monday, the Director of Impact House Model Schools, Mowe, Ogun State, Sam Abdulazeez, said his school had observed what he described as an unusual decline in the performance of its candidates in the 2025 and 2026 WASSCE.
According to him, the trend was difficult to reconcile with developments within the school because there had been no significant deterioration in teaching capacity or preparations for the examination.
Instead, Abdulazeez said the institution had retained its teaching personnel, improved learning facilities and intensified preparations for candidates.
He explained that Impact House Model Schools had presented students for WASSCE since 2017 and had historically recorded strong results, particularly in core subjects such as Mathematics and English Language.
The latest results, he argued, therefore raised questions requiring further examination rather than being dismissed simply as poor student performance.
The complaints have added another dimension to the debate surrounding the deployment of Computer-Based Testing in major public examinations in Nigeria.
While CBT has become established in examinations such as the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, its expansion into secondary school examinations presents different logistical challenges because of the larger number of subjects, practical components and candidates involved.
Reliable electricity, functioning computer systems, internet connectivity where required, adequate testing centres and the digital competence of candidates are among factors that can affect the smooth implementation of computer-based examinations.
Education stakeholders have consequently argued that any technical failure capable of affecting candidates’ responses must be investigated quickly, particularly because WASSCE results play an important role in determining admission into universities, polytechnics and other tertiary institutions.
Unexpected grades can have significant consequences for candidates seeking admission, as institutions generally require credit passes in specified subjects, including Mathematics and English Language, depending on the programme.
The emerging controversy does not, however, establish that WAEC’s grading system was faulty. Differences between expected and actual performance can arise from several factors, making a transparent review of specific complaints important before conclusions are reached.
Candidates who believe their results do not accurately reflect their performance may therefore seek clarification through the examination body’s established review and complaint procedures.
The concerns also underscore the importance of maintaining public confidence in WAEC, which has conducted examinations across West Africa for decades and remains one of the region’s most important assessment institutions.
As more schools and education advocates scrutinise the 2026 results, attention will turn to WAEC’s response to the allegations and whether the council will undertake further reviews of disputed grades or technical incidents reported during the examination.
For affected candidates, the priority will be a prompt resolution, particularly as admission processes into tertiary institutions proceed and examination results become crucial to determining their next educational steps.