The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has officially released the results of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), paving the way for thousands of candidates across Nigeria to begin the next phase of their academic journey as they prepare for admission into tertiary institutions and other post-secondary opportunities.
The examination body announced the release of the results on Wednesday through a statement published on its official X (formerly Twitter) platform, where it urged candidates to use only its approved channels to access their results and warned against patronising fraudsters claiming to offer result upgrades or unofficial checking services.
The release of the results marks one of the most significant milestones in Nigeria’s education calendar, as universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and other tertiary institutions are expected to commence processing admissions using the newly released results.
According to WAEC, candidates are required to obtain or recover their Result Checker Serial Number and Personal Identification Number before attempting to check their results online.
The council explained that candidates who no longer have their authentication details can retrieve them through its official online portal by selecting the 2026 examination year and the appropriate examination diet before providing their examination number, National Identification Number, registered email address and telephone number.
WAEC said successful verification would enable candidates to receive a One-Time Password, which would allow them to recover their Serial Number and PIN for result checking.
The council also disclosed that candidates could download their official WAEC identity cards through the same portal.
Providing further guidance, WAEC explained that candidates should visit the official WAEC result portal, enter their 10-digit examination number, select the 2026 examination year and the appropriate examination type, input the recovered or generated Serial Number and PIN before submitting the request to access their results.
It stated that candidates would be able to view, print or save their results immediately after successful verification.
Apart from the web portal, WAEC said candidates could also access their examination results through the WAEC Result Checker mobile application by supplying the required examination details and authentication credentials.
Recognising that internet access remains a challenge for many candidates, particularly those in rural communities, the council said candidates could also check their results through the Short Message Service platform.
According to WAEC, candidates only need to send the prescribed SMS format containing their examination number, PIN and examination year to the designated WAEC result-checking number supported by participating mobile network operators.
The council urged candidates to carefully follow the approved format to avoid delays or unsuccessful requests.
WAEC also reiterated that its grading structure remains unchanged for the 2026 examination.
Under the grading system, A1 represents Excellent, while B2 and B3 indicate Very Good and Good performances respectively. Grades C4, C5 and C6 are classified as Credit passes, D7 and E8 represent ordinary passes, while F9 indicates failure in a subject.
The examination body reminded candidates seeking admission into universities and other higher institutions that most Nigerian tertiary institutions require applicants to possess a minimum of five credit passes, including English Language and Mathematics, obtained in not more than two sittings, depending on the institution and course of study.
WAEC further advised candidates who notice any discrepancies or believe there are errors in their released results to promptly lodge complaints through the council’s official complaint channels or visit the nearest WAEC office for verification and necessary review.
The council emphasised that candidates should rely only on official WAEC platforms for information regarding their results and avoid unofficial websites or individuals promising to alter examination grades.
Education stakeholders say the release of the results is expected to trigger the next phase of the 2026 admission process, with candidates now expected to upload their results to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s Central Admissions Processing System and participate in post-UTME screening exercises conducted by their preferred institutions.
Many secondary schools are also expected to begin collecting performance statistics to assess students’ academic achievements and evaluate teaching outcomes for the 2026 examination cycle.
Parents, guardians and candidates have equally expressed optimism that the timely release of the results will enable admission processes to commence without unnecessary delays, especially for candidates seeking placement into universities, polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education across the country.
West Trybe reports that the West African Senior School Certificate Examination remains one of the most important secondary school examinations in West Africa, serving as a major qualification for admission into tertiary institutions, employment opportunities and professional training programmes. The timely release of the 2026 results is expected to facilitate the commencement of admission activities across Nigeria’s higher education sector while enabling successful candidates to pursue their academic and career aspirations.
