The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has successfully driven examination malpractice to its lowest level in eight years, a milestone achieved through the deployment of Computer-Based Testing (CBT) and the serialisation of examination papers.
Amos Dangut, the Head of the Nigeria National Office at WAEC, announced on Wednesday that 167,486 results were withheld in the 2026 computer-based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (CB-WASSCE) for school candidates. This figure represents 8.59 percent of the total candidates who sat for the exam, marking a significant drop from the 9.7 percent recorded in 2025.
“The results of 167,486 candidates, representing 8.59 percent of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, are being withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice.
“This is 1.11 percent lower than the 9.7 percent recorded in the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2025,” he explained.
The council’s anti-malpractice framework has been upgraded over the past few cycles. Dangut explained that WAEC has continuously innovated to outsmart systemic cheating, shifting from traditional enforcement to tech-driven preventative measures.
