The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has temporarily taken down its result-checking portal after uncovering a technical glitch affecting the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results for school candidates.
The disruption emerges just three days after the official release of the results on Monday, August 4, sparking anxiety among candidates and schools across Nigeria.
WAEC says it suspends access to the results portal on Thursday, August 7, following a post-release audit that identified anomalies linked to its new digital anti-malpractice system.
“As part of our efforts to curb examination malpractice, the Council embarked on an innovation (paper serialization) already deployed by a national examination body. It is also worth noting that this is in line with best practices in assessment,” WAEC says in a statement signed by Moyosola Adesina, Acting Head of Public Affairs.
The paper serialisation system, recently introduced to bolster exam security, randomly assigns different versions of the same paper to candidates in a bid to reduce cheating. The Council confirms that technical bugs in the system have led to inaccuracies in some subject results, including Mathematics, English Language, Biology, and Economics.
Anti-cheating tech faces glitch
The paper serialisation system, recently introduced to bolster exam security, randomly assigns different versions of the same paper to candidates in a bid to reduce cheating. The Council confirms that technical bugs in the system have led to inaccuracies in some subject results, including Mathematics, English Language, Biology, and Economics.
WAEC says it is reviewing the issue with urgency and has temporarily disabled the result checker portal to prevent further confusion.
“The Council, being a responsive body that is sensitive to fairness and professionalism, has decided to urgently review and correct the technical glitches that led to the situation,” the statement adds.
Access to results to be restored in 24 hours
WAEC assures affected candidates and the general public that corrected results will be accessible via the result checker within 24 hours, once the technical fault is resolved.
“We extend our deep and sincere apologies to all affected candidates and the general public,” WAEC says. “We appreciate their patience and understanding as we work diligently to resolve this matter with transparency and urgency.”
The Council advises candidates who have already checked their results to reconfirm once access is restored, to ensure they are viewing updated and accurate scores.
WAEC debunks false claims of mass result cancellations
Following the portal suspension, a wave of false reports alleging the cancellation of results from several schools began circulating on social media. WAEC dismisses the claims as fake news and urges candidates, parents, and school administrators to rely solely on official communication channels for updates.
WAEC reaffirms its commitment to fairness, professionalism, and transparency, even as it works to resolve the setback caused by the technical failure.
The Council notes that while the serialisation feature is intended to strengthen the integrity of its examinations, the glitch highlights the challenges of deploying new digital systems within legacy exam infrastructures—a reality it says it is prepared to tackle with improved coordination and digital capacity.
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