The West African Examinations Council has released the results of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination for School Candidates, covering approximately 1.95 million candidates from more than 24,200 secondary schools across Nigeria.
WAEC announced the release through a post on its official X handle, directing candidates to generate a personal identification number before accessing their results on the designated portal.
“UPDATE: 2026 WASSCE (SC) results have been released. Generate your PIN at waec.org and check your results now on waecdirect.org,” the examination body stated in its post.
Out of 1,950,726 candidates who sat for the examination, 1,200,514 candidates, representing 61.54 percent, obtained credits and above in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. The credit threshold is the standard benchmark used across West Africa to determine eligibility for post-secondary admission, making performance in English language and mathematics particularly critical for candidates seeking university placement.
The figure means that 38.46 percent of the total candidates who sat for the examination did not obtain credits and above in at least five subjects, including English language and mathematics, as required.
Candidates must first generate a PIN and serial number on the WAEC website at waec.org before they can access their results on the result-checking portal at waecdirect.org, according to the examination body.
The process requires candidates to provide the examination number and National Identification Number used during registration, along with contact details for a one-time password verification, as disclosed by the council. The inclusion of the NIN as part of the verification process reflects a broader push by Nigerian authorities to integrate national identity infrastructure into examination and educational administration systems.
The 2026 WASSCE for School Candidates ran from April 21 to June 19, covering candidates drawn from secondary schools spread across Nigeria, the council confirmed. The nearly two-month examination window accommodated the wide range of subjects offered across the curriculum.
While most examination centers used the traditional pen-and-paper format, a significantly larger number of schools than in previous years opted for the computer-based testing option, according to information released by WAEC. The shift toward computer-based testing reflects WAEC’s ongoing effort to modernize examination delivery and reduce the logistical burden associated with large-scale paper administration.
WAEC had earlier indicated that results would be released approximately 45 days after the final paper was written, a timeline the council met with the Wednesday announcement.
The release of the 2026 WASSCE school candidates’ results follows WAEC’s earlier announcement of the results of the computer-based West African Senior School Certificate Examination for private candidates, 2026 first series.
The two result releases in 2026 mark a continued expansion of examination options available to both school and private candidates sitting for the certificate required for post-secondary admission across West Africa.
The 1,950,726 figure for school candidates who sat for the 2026 examination reflects the broad scale of the WASSCE administration, which spans secondary schools in Nigeria under WAEC’s oversight for the current cycle.
WAEC administers the WASSCE annually across its member states, with Nigeria accounting for the largest share of candidates. The council uses both paper-based and computer-based formats to conduct the examination each year.
Access to results requires candidates to complete a verification process that includes providing their NIN and contact details, steps the council said are necessary to generate the OTP needed to complete the login on waecdirect.org.
The 2026 WASSCE results release, covering 1,950,726 school candidates and recording a 61.54 percent pass rate in five subjects including English and Mathematics, marks the conclusion of the school candidates’ examination cycle that opened in April.
