WAEC RECORDS OVER 56,000 CANDIDATES FOR 2026 PRIVATE WASSCE

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Agency Report

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced that more than 56,000 candidates registered for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for Private Candidates, Second Series.

WAEC’s Head of National Office, Mr Suleiman Kum, disclosed this on Saturday during an inspection of the Computer-Based Test (CBT) English Language examination in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inspection was conducted at the WAEC Training and Testing Centre on Ijaiye Road, Ogba, where candidates took the examination.

Kum said the registered candidates included approximately 272 walk-in candidates who enrolled to resit individual subjects.

He added that Lagos State recorded more than 22,000 candidates, including about 50 walk-in candidates sitting for the examination.

According to the WAEC official, the introduction of CBT has helped reduce examination malpractice, improve the credibility of the exercise and promote transparency.

He explained that WAEC introduced computer-based testing in 2024 and had continued to refine the process to strengthen examination security and minimise malpractice.

“We have discovered that computer-based tests, popularly known as CBT, are truly the best way to conduct examinations because malpractice is drastically reduced,” Kum said.

He noted that candidates were thoroughly screened before entering the examination halls to prevent them from bringing prohibited materials into the venues and to protect the integrity of the exercise.

“We do not set traps for candidates; we want to prevent malpractice by ensuring they enter the examination hall without unauthorised materials,” he said.

Kum assured that the council would continue to embrace innovations aimed at improving examination administration and maintaining its reputation for integrity.

“WAEC will continue to improve to ensure that it remains the benchmark for examination integrity and innovation in Nigeria,” he said.

The WAEC official also advised candidates to prepare adequately by studying diligently, practising past examination questions and marking schemes, and reviewing chief examiners’ reports to improve their performance.

He explained that the reports highlight candidates’ strengths and weaknesses and provide guidance on how to answer questions effectively.

NAN reports that the examination forms part of WAEC’s ongoing transition towards computer-based testing.