The West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) has released the result of the 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE)

Mr Patrick Areghan, Head of the Nigeria National Office of the Council who disclosed this on Monday, said a total of 80.56 per cent have been fully processed, and 19.44 per cent still being processed due to some issues being resolved.

Areghan said One Million, Five Hundred and Seventy-Three Thousand, Eight Hundred and Forty-Nine (1,573,849) candidates registered for the examination and 1,560,261 candidates sat the examination.

“The examination, which was an international one, took place simultaneously throughout the five-member countries of the Council – The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, using the same International Timetable.

“The examination spanned seven weeks, between August 16 and October 8, 2021. Throughout the period, we were faced with serious security challenges in the South East (IPOB and ESN sit-at-home order) and banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, etc, in the north and other parts of the country. All these, coupled with the continuous effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic, made the whole exercise a Herculean one.”

HOW TO CHECK WAEC RESULTS

Moreso, 81.7 per cent the candidates made credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics in the 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination result.

About 1,274,784 million is 81.7 per cent of the total of 1,560,261 million candidates who sat the exam.

Mr Patrick Areghan, explained that there was an appreciable 16.46 per cent improvement, saying the percentage of candidates in the category in the WASSCE for school candidates, 2020 was 65.24 per cent.

Areghan mentioned that out of the 1,560,261 million candidates that sat the examination, 1,398,370 million candidates, representing 89.62%, obtained credit and above in a minimum of any five subjects (i.e with or without English Language and/ or Mathematics.

He said, “Out of the total number of candidates that sat the examination in Nigeria, 1,256,990 million candidates, representing 80.56% have their results fully processed and released while 303,271 candidates, representing 19.44 per cent have a few of their subjects still being processed due to some issues being resolved.”

He also complained about the activities of rogue-website operators and some other social media platforms, who always post examination questions online immediately after the commencement of the paper being administered.

“The results of 170,146 candidates, representing 10.9 per cent of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, are being withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice.

“The increasing use of cell phones in the examination hall and organised cheating in some schools are other big concerns. All the cases are being investigated and reports of the investigations will be presented to the appropriate committee of the Council for determination in due course,” he said.

Areghan noted that the exam, which took place simultaneously throughout the five-member countries of the Council, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, used the same international timetable.

“The examination ended on October 8, 2021 and today, Monday, November 22, 2021; 45 days after the conduct of the last paper, we are releasing the result,” he said.

WAEC increases SSCE registration fee by 29%

Also, the WAEC has increased the registration fee for its examination from N13,950 to N18,000.

The increment, which amounts to about 29 per cent, will take effect with the 2022 senior school certificate examination (SSCE).

The examination body has also declared that no candidate sponsored by any state government that is owing it would have access to his or her results.

Areghan blamed the development on the coronavirus pandemic, rising inflation rates and the biting insecurity.

He said: “Owing to the devastating effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic which has brought the global economy to its knees, the unabating spiraling inflation in the country as can be seen in the general cost of doing business and the multiplier effect of the unabating insecurity in the country, which have consequential effects on the cost of our operations, it is no longer possible to continue to provide services with the current fee of N13,950.00 per candidate.

“Furthermore, our ad-hoc workers – Supervisors, Examiners, Checkers, item Writers and indeed, all examination functionaries, have been agitating for improved remunerations.

“We have received approval from the appropriate quarters with effect from the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2022, to charge N18,000.00 per candidate. We are, therefore, asking all school principals to collect N18,000.00 per candidate for registration. A part of this new fee has been dedicated to the enhancement of the remunerations for the various examination functionaries and our Governing Board has graciously approved the remunerations, which will come into effect from the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2022.”

Mr Areghan said any amount beyond N18,000 charged by any school “will not be to our consent or knowledge and will definitely not come to the purse of the West African Examinations Council.”

Though Mr Areghan did not list the specific states that are owing WAEC registration fees for their candidates, he did confirm that some state governments are owing and that the results of the sponsored candidates would be withheld until the concerned governments pay up.

This has been the lot of some of the candidates who sat a similar examination conducted by the National Examination Council (NECO) earlier in the year.

WAEC said the results were being uploaded as of Monday afternoon and urged candidates who have fulfilled all obligations including those who are not owing the examination body to check the website for the results.

The HNO said: “Gentlemen of the media, as I address you at this briefing, the results are being uploaded on the results website. Candidates who sat the examination and who have fulfilled their financial obligations to the Council can access their performance on the Council’s results website: www.waecdirect.org. Needless restating the fact that the results of indebted candidates or Schools or States will not be released until they pay up.

“The Result Checker PIN and Serial Number required by candidates to check their results online are contained on the Candidate’s Smart Identity Card used during the conduct of the examination. Certificates of candidates whose results have been fully processed and released will be ready within the next 90 days, counting from today.”