The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), yesterday announced it was withholding 180,205 candidates results, representing 11.33 per cent of the total number of candidates that sat the examination but said the 2019 results showed a marked improvement from that of last year with 64 per cent pass by candidates.
The withheld results were in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice, which were being investigated, the reports of which would be presented to the appropriate committee of the council in due course and the result communicated to the schools of such candidates.
Announcing the release of the result, WAEC Head of National Office, Mr. Olu Adenipekun who briefed journalists in Lagos, said out of 1,590,173 candidates that sat the examination in Nigeria, 1,020,519 candidates representing 64.18 per cent, obtained credits and above in minimum of five subjects including English Language and Mathematics.
An analysis of the statistics of the performance in the examination show that 1,309,570 candidates representing 82.35 per cent, obtained credit and above in a minimum of any five subjects with or without English Language and/or Mathematics.
Of this number, Adenipekun said 507,862 representing 49.77 per cent were male candidates, while 512,657 representing 50.23 per cent, were female candidates, adding that the percentage of candidates in this category in the WASSCE for school candidates in 2018 was 50 per cent.
According to him, “The performance of candidates in this year’s examinations compared with last year, is better.”
The HNO said a total of 1,918 candidates with varying degrees of special needs were also registered for the examination, adding that out of this number, 299 were visually challenged, 842 had impaired hearing; 158 had low vision; 75 were spastic cum mentally challenged, while 85 were physically challenged.
“All these candidates with special needs were adequately provided for in the administration of the examination. Their results have been processed and released along with other candidates.”
The WAEC boss noted that out of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, 1,468,071 candidates, representing 92.32 per cent have their results fully processed and released while 122,102 candidates representing 7.68 per cent, have a few of their subjects still being processed.
“Efforts are however, being made to speedily complete the processing and all the affected candidates will get their results fully processed and released subsequently, “he said.
Fielding questions from newsmen on alleged cases of impersonation and malpractice during the conduct of the examination, he said, “We have deployed technology through biometrics to determine the candidates that will feature in our exams. We also deploy smart identification cards used to verify the candidates coming to the examination hall, which has brought down the cases of impersonation.”
On the alleged leakage of question papers online during the conduct of the examination, the HNO said some supervisors had connived with candidates and taken photographs of the subject papers, adding that with its tracking device, the council was able to arrest the development.
“Many of the supervisors and candidates caught across the country have been arrested by the police for further investigation. They will soon be prosecuted, “he said.
While thanking all the supervisors, invigilators, custodians, examiners and other ad-hoc personnel for their support towards the successful conduct of the examination and marking of scripts, Adenipekun said the details of the results were already available online, noting that candidates who sat the examination and had fulfilled their financial obligations to the council could check the details of their performance on its results website: www.waecdirect.org.
“The result checker PIN and serial number needed by candidates to check their results online, are contained on the candidates 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 from today,” he stressed.