April 01, (THEWILL) – The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), has released the result of the first series of its 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), organised for private candidates.
The examination was held between Tuesday, January 31, 2023, and Friday, February 17, 2023.
Head of the National Office (HNO) of WAEC, Nigeria, Patrick Areghan, announced the release of the result in a statement, issued by the head of public affairs department of the Council, Mrs Moyosola Adesina.
He disclosed that the coordination of examiners and marking of candidates scripts were carried out at three marking venues in Ibadan, Enugu, and Abuja from Wednesday, March 8, to Thursday, March 23, 2023.
Areghan said 8,738 candidates, representing a 16% increase, compared with the 2022 entry figure entered for the examination, while 8,348 candidates sat the examination at 262 centres spread across the country.
According to him, 27 candidates, with varying degrees of special needs, were registered for the examination, noting that out of the number, eight were visually challenged, two had impaired hearing and four were Albinos.
The WAEC boss said out of 8,253 candidates, representing 98.87% have their results fully processed and released while 95 candidates, representing 1.13% have a few of their subjects still being processed due to some errors on the part of the candidates.
“The analysis of the statistics of the performance of candidates shows that out of the 8,348 candidates that sat the examination, 2,960 candidates representing 35.46% obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects with or without English Language and/or Mathematics”, he said.
Areghan further disclosed that 2,003 candidates, representing 23.99% obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects including English Language and Mathematics.
The HNO said the percentage of candidates in this category in the WASSCE for private candidates, 2021 and 2022 first series, that is those, who obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, were 30.11% and 26.32% respectively; indicating a marginal decrease of 2.33% in performance.
“This analysis, however, cannot be compared with that of the WASSCE for school candidates. Whereas the candidate in the school candidates examination is compelled to sit eight or nine subjects, the candidate 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 explained.
Areghan added that the results of 413 candidates, representing 4.95% of the total number of candidates that sat for the examination, are being withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice.
He explained that 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, noting, “the committees decisions will be communicated directly to the affected candidates, thereafter.”
The HNO advised candidates, who sat for the examination to visit www.waecdirect.org to check their results, stating, “candidates will also be required to apply for their certificates online, through the WAEC Certificate Request Portal (e-Certman) website: https://certrequest.waec.ng/.”
