Examination malpractices distort the accuracy of educational evaluations of students
The depressing state of education in the country was again highlighted last week when the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) released the results of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). Although the number of candidates whose results were withheld over alleged examination malpractices is lower than what was recorded in 2025, it is still uncomfortably high. “All the cases are being investigated, and reports of the investigations will be presented to the appropriate Committee of the Council for consideration and final decisions,” said the Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, Amos Dangut, who attributed many of the cases to the increasing use of mobile phones in examination halls and organised cheating in some schools.
Dangut said rogue websites sold fake examination questions to candidates and parents, adding some suspects have been arrested. We hope that there will be a diligent prosecution to bring the culprits to justice. Examination malpractices not only undermine fairness and equal opportunity, but they also distort the accuracy of educational evaluations of students. But over the years, misconduct of all stripes has become pronounced in our examinations. From cheating with the aid of phones or other electronic devices to collusion, bribery, impersonation, to obtaining exam questions before the exam as in the present case, examination malpractices pose a significant risk to the dependability of examination results and certification of the students.
