The West African Examinations Council has withheld the results of 215,267 candidates from the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination.

This figure represents 11.92 per cent of the 1,805,216 candidates who took the examination.

The 2024 WASSCE commenced on Tuesday, 30th April 2024, and concluded on 24th June 2024.

Speaking on Monday while announcing the release of the 2024 WASSCE results, the Head of the Nigeria Office, WAEC, Dr Amos Dangut, stated that the results were withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice.

He explained that this figure was 4.37 per cent lower than the 16.29 per cent recorded in the WASSCE for School Candidates in 2023.

Dangut stressed that the Council would continue to sanction all cases of examination malpractice, noting that schools, supervisors, teachers, and candidates involved in such practices were undermining the educational system.

He said, “The increasing use of mobile phones in the examination hall, despite the existing ban, and organised cheating in some schools, are other nagging issues. 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.”

He added, “The committee’s decisions will be communicated to the affected candidates through their various schools in due course. Candidates affected by these decisions can now seek redress for their malpractice cases via our website if they so wish. All hands must, therefore, be on deck to sanitise the system.”

Dr Dangut also revealed that 73.79 per cent of candidates obtained credit or above in a minimum of any five subjects, with or without English Language and/or Mathematics. This figure represents 1,332,089 candidates out of the total 1,805,216 who sat the examination.

He further encouraged candidates, stating, “As WASSCE for School Candidates, 2024 results are being uploaded on the results website, candidates should, after checking their results online, apply for their Digital Certificates, which will be released 48 hours thereafter.”

He added, “Candidates who have fulfilled their financial obligations to the Council can access their results on the Council’s results website within the next 12 hours. Copies of the Result Listing will be sent to schools shortly.”

The examination was conducted in four WAEC member countries: Nigeria, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.

PUNCH