The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has officially published the provisional results for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), showing a notable decline in performance in key subjects and a concerning increase in examination malpractices across various schools in the country.
A total of 461,736 candidates, made up of 207,415 males and 254,321 females from 1,021 schools, registered for the exam. This marks a marginal 0.24% increase from the 2024 entry figures. Despite the rise, 5,821 candidates, representing 1.26%, did not sit for the exam.
Following the release of the results, WAEC highlighted the outcome of investigations conducted by the Ghana Education Service (GES) into several cases of irregularities reported during the exam period. During its 40th meeting on November 17, 2025, the Ghana Examinations Committee approved a list of sanctions in response to the findings.
Among the disciplinary measures taken was the “cancellation of subject results of 6,295 candidates for bringing foreign material like prepared notes, textbooks, and printed material into the examination halls.” The Council also confirmed the “cancellation of entire results of 653 candidates for possession of mobile phones in the examination halls,” marking one of the strictest enforcement measures in recent years.
In addition, the subject results of 908 candidates and the entire results of 158 candidates have been withheld for various suspected forms of cheating. WAEC further disclosed that alleged collusion cases from 185 schools have led to additional withheld subject results. These investigations are ongoing, with the Council assuring the public that it is “working around the clock to ensure that the withheld results are published before the end of December 2025, depending on the outcome of investigations.”
The crackdown on malpractice extended beyond candidates. A total of 35 individuals, including 19 teachers, were discovered to have contributed to activities that compromised the credibility of the examination. According to WAEC, 19 of these individuals have already been arraigned and convicted, receiving fines or imprisonment. The remaining 16 are expected to be presented before the courts soon. Beyond legal consequences, the Council noted that “the list of teachers will be presented to the Director General of the Ghana Education Service for further disciplinary action.”
Despite the challenges, WAEC expressed appreciation for the institutions and personnel who supported the successful conduct of the examination and the release of results. The Council stated its “sincerest gratitude to stakeholders, especially the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, the Security Agencies, Heads of School, Supervisors, Invigilators, Examiners and all who in diverse ways supported it.”
The sharp decline in core subject performance, paired with the increasing rate of malpractice, has raised concerns about the overall quality of teaching and learning in schools. As the nation awaits the conclusion of outstanding investigations, these issues have sparked renewed calls for stronger supervision, enhanced guidance for students, and reforms to safeguard the integrity of Ghana’s education system.
