‘574 schools sanctioned for malpractice’
In its bid to curb malpractice and enhance delivery, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has introduced the first-ever Computer-Based Test (CBT) West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates.
Head of Nigeria National Office of the council, Dr Amos Dangut, who disclosed this to journalists at the WAEC National Office in Yaba, Lagos, said the body is fully prepared for the conduct of the examination.
Dangut said that the WASSCE for school candidates would be held between April 24 and June 20 across the country, and would be computer-based.
He said: “It will interest you to know that from this year, two candidates will not have the same questions on each number. This is part of a paradigm shift in test administration techniques to uphold academic integrity.”
The WAEC chief further disclosed that 1,973,253 candidates from 23,554 schools would sit for the examination, which represents an increase of over 158,000 from the previous year.
Of this number, 979,228 are males (49.63 per cent) and 994,025 females (50.37 per cent), showing a continuing rise in female participation.
According to him, the examination will cover 74 subjects with 196 papers, while over 26,000 senior secondary school teachers will serve as supervisors nationwide.
Dangut, therefore, warned candidates, supervisors, and schools to adhere strictly to examination rules.
He said that 574 schools found guilty of examination malpractices had been sanctioned by the examination body, and the list of the affected schools was forwarded to the federal government for appropriate sanction.
He also appealed to parents, teachers, and school officials to discourage examination malpractice and called on media organisations to support WAEC’s awareness campaigns.
Dangut promised that the results of the 2025 examination would be released 45 days after the last paper, and certificates will be issued within 90 days.
He, however, affirmed the Council’s commitment to conducting a credible examination in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, state ministries, security agencies, and other stakeholders.
