The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has officially released the statistics for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates. The examination was conducted across Nigeria, Benin Republic, Côte d'Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea, with over 1.95 million candidates participating.
The released figures provide a clear picture of candidates' performance, the number of released and withheld results, and the measures introduced to improve the credibility of the examination. If you sat for the 2026 WAEC examination or simply want to understand the overall performance, the details below contain everything you need to know.
See the latest announcement: WAEC Releases 2026 WASSCE Results for School Candidates.
The statistics also reveal how many candidates obtained the minimum five credits required for university admission, including English Language and Mathematics, alongside other important examination data.
WAEC 2026 Results Statistics at a Glance
A total of 1,959,668 candidates from 24,207 schools registered for the 2026 WASSCE for School Candidates, while 1,950,726 candidates eventually sat for the examination.
Category | Statistics |
|---|---|
Candidates Registered | 1,959,668 |
Candidates Who Sat | 1,950,726 |
Schools That Participated | 24,207 |
Candidates With Five Credits Including English and Mathematics | 1,200,514 (61.54%) |
Candidates With Five Credits With or Without English and Mathematics | 1,687,378 (86.50%) |
Results Fully Released | 1,834,695 (94.05%) |
Results Still Being Processed | 116,031 (5.95%) |
Results Withheld | 167,486 (8.59%) |
Candidates whose results have been released can follow our WAEC Results 2026 guide to check their scores online using the WAEC Result Checker Pin or by SMS.
How Many Candidates Passed WAEC 2026?
WAEC reported that 1,200,514 candidates, representing 61.54 per cent of those who sat for the examination, obtained credits and above in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
These five credits remain the basic requirement for admission into most Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
Although this is still a strong performance, it is 1.42 percentage points lower than the figure recorded during the 2025 examination.
Candidates With Five Credits Regardless of English and Mathematics
Apart from the main admission benchmark, WAEC also released the number of candidates who obtained at least five credits regardless of whether English Language and Mathematics were included.
A total of 1,687,378 candidates, representing 86.50 per cent, achieved this performance level.
This group includes candidates who earned five credits but may not have obtained credit passes in both English Language and Mathematics.
Male and Female Performance
Female candidates recorded a slightly better performance than their male counterparts among candidates who obtained five credits, including English Language and Mathematics.
Category | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Male Candidates | 558,883 | 28.65% |
Female Candidates | 641,631 | 32.89% |
Overall participation was also higher among female candidates.
Gender | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Female Candidates | 997,267 | 51.12% |
Male Candidates | 953,459 | 48.88% |
How Many WAEC Results Were Released?
WAEC confirmed that 1,834,695 results, representing 94.05 per cent, had been completely processed and released.
Another 116,031 results, representing 5.95 per cent, were still being processed at the time of the announcement.
Candidates whose results are still under processing are advised to remain patient while WAEC completes the remaining verification and processing exercises.
Why Were 167,486 WAEC Results Withheld?
WAEC withheld the results of 167,486 candidates, representing 8.59 per cent of those who sat for the examination, over alleged examination malpractice.
According to the Head of WAEC's Nigeria National Office, Dr Amos Dangut, the major issues included:
Use of mobile phones inside examination halls
Organised examination malpractice in some schools
Other reported examination offences
The council also noted that the 8.59 per cent withheld rate is lower than the 9.7 per cent recorded during the 2025 examination.
Action Against Examination Officials
WAEC disclosed that several supervisors and invigilators alleged to have assisted candidates during the examination were arrested.
According to the council, the affected officials will face disciplinary measures through the appropriate State Ministries of Education.
Candidates With Special Needs
WAEC recorded 1,213 candidates with special needs during the 2026 examination.
The breakdown is shown below.
Category | Number |
|---|---|
Visually Impaired | 137 |
Hearing Impaired | 491 |
Spastic and Mentally Challenged | 55 |
Physically Challenged | 41 |
When Was the 2026 WAEC Examination Conducted?
The 2026 WASSCE for School Candidates was conducted between:
Activity | Date |
|---|---|
Examination Period | 24 April to 19 June 2026 |
Number of Examiners | 102,708 |
Marking Venues | 88 |
This examination was the second Computer Based WASSCE for School Candidates conducted by WAEC.
New Measures Introduced by WAEC
WAEC introduced several measures to improve examination security and speed up result processing.
These include:
Digital Examiner Mark System
Serialised question papers
New online portal for generating WAEC e PINs
The council explained that these measures were introduced to reduce examination malpractice and improve the efficiency of result processing.
Will Every Candidate Receive Their Result?
No, WAEC stated that candidates sponsored by state governments that are yet to settle outstanding financial obligations may experience delays in accessing their results.
The council, however, did not mention the affected states.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many candidates registered for the 2026 WAEC examination?
A: A total of 1,959,668 candidates from 24,207 schools registered for the examination.
Q: How many candidates sat for the examination?
A: WAEC recorded 1,950,726 candidates who participated in the examination.
Q: How many candidates obtained five credits including English and Mathematics?
A: 1,200,514 candidates, representing 61.54 per cent, obtained at least five credits including English Language and Mathematics.
Q: How many results were released?
A: WAEC released 1,834,695 results, representing 94.05 per cent of all candidates who sat for the examination.
Q: Can candidates with withheld results appeal?
A: Candidates should wait for WAEC's investigation process and follow any official instructions issued by the council regarding withheld results.
Q: Where can candidates check their WAEC results?
A: Candidates can check their results through the official WAEC result portal: https://www.waecdirect.org/ using their examination number, Result Checker PIN and serial number.
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