By Florence Ebebe,
News Editor
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), has announced the realease off the 2022, Second Series, West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results for Private Candidates
The results were released via a press statement signed by WAEC’s Head of National Office, Mr. Patrick Areghan, on Friday 17th February, 2023.
According to the statement, “Seventy-Seven Thousand, Seven Hundred and Sixty-Eight (77,768) candidates (representing a 31.88% increase, when compared with the 2021 entry figure) entered the examination, while Seventy-Three Thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty-Four (73,424) candidates sat the examination at Six Hundred and Thirty-Eight (638) centres spread across the nooks and crannies of the country.
“Amongst the Seventy-Three Thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty-Four (73,424) candidates that sat the examination, One Hundred and Forty-Three (143) were candidates with varying degrees of special needs. Out of this number, Forty-Four (44) were visually challenged, Sixteen (16) had impaired hearing, Nineteen (19) were Albinos and Nine (9) were physically challenged. All these candidates were adequately provided for in the administration of the examination.
“Of the total number of Seventy-Three Thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty-Four (73,424) candidates that sat the examination, Thirty-Six Thousand, One Hundred and Forty-One (36,141) were males while Thirty-Seven Thousand, Two Hundred and Eighty-Three (37,283) were females, representing 49.22% and 50.78%, respectively.
“Out of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, Seventy-Two Thousand, Two Hundred and Sixty-Five (72,265) candidates, representing 98.42%, have their results fully processed and released. In contrast, One Thousand, One Hundred and Fifty-Nine (1,159) candidates, representing 1.58%, have a few of their subjects still being processed due to some errors on the part of the candidates. However, efforts are being made to complete the processing to enable all the affected candidates get their full results, ” he hinted.
An analysis of the statistics of the performance of candidates shows that out of the Seventy-Three Thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty-Four (73,424) candidates that sat the examination:, Forty-Two Thousand, Four Hundred and Five (42,405) candidates representing 57.75%, obtained credit and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects (with or without English Language and/or Mathematics);, while Thirty Thousand, Nine Hundred and Fifty-Four (30,954) candidates representing 42.16%, obtained credit and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
Further breakedown of the results shows that Of this number, Fifteen Thousand and Seventy (15,070), i.e., 48.69%, were male candidates, while Fifteen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Four (15,884), i.e., 51.31%, were female candidates. The percentage of candidates in this category in the WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2021, that is, those who obtained credit and above in a minimum of Five (5) subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, was 48.61%. Thus, there is a marginal decrease of 6.45% in the performance over that of 2021.
Areghan explained that “this analysis, however, cannot be compared with that of the WASSCE for School Candidates. Whereas the candidate in the WASSCE for School Candidates Examination is compelled to sit eight or nine subjects, the candidate in the WASSCE for Private Candidates Examination, though can register for eight or nine subjects, is not compelled to take all. He/she is free to sit, even one subject, depending on the deficiency he/she wants to remedy. For him/her, therefore, the examination is only a remedial one – a remedy for an existing deficiency. From the above, it will not be true or fair to say that the performance in this examination has dwindled.”
He went on to state that “the results of Seven Thousand, Eight Hundred and Seventy-One (7,871) candidates, representing 10.72% of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, are being withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice. 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. The Committee’s decisions will be communicated directly to the affected candidates thereafter.”
Candidates who sat the examination has been advised to visit www.waecdirect.org to check their results. Candidates will also be required to apply for hardcopies of their certificates online through the WAEC Certificate Request Portal (e-Certman) website: https://certrequest.waec.ng/.
Candidates can also access, share and download their digital certificates online by visiting www.waec.org once the hard copies are available, the WAEC helmsman added.