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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) conducts the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) using CBT, a system widely regarded as transparent and efficient.
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The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is facing mounting criticism over the integrity of its 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results, following widespread complaints from school administrators and education stakeholders .
The dissatisfaction stems from alleged grading inconsistencies and technical issues associated with the expansion of Computer-Based Testing (CBT).
The controversy has sparked concerns across Nigeria’s education sector, with critics warning that discrepancies in the results could undermine public confidence in one of the country’s most critical examination systems.
Several school administrators have questioned the accuracy of the results, particularly in cases where students with strong academic records and high scores in other standardised examinations reportedly received lower-than-expected grades in WASSCE.
Schools Raise Concern
One of such concerns was raised by the Director of Impact House Model Schools in Mowe, Ogun State, Sam Abdulazeez, who said the school had recorded a noticeable decline in students’ performance in the 2025 and 2026 WASSCE despite improvements in teaching quality and infrastructure.
He recalled that in 2024, all 45 candidates presented by the school obtained A1 grades in Mathematics, a performance he described as a benchmark for subsequent cohorts.
However, he said the trend changed significantly following the introduction of serialisation and the expansion of CBT in the examination process.
“This year, out of the 69 students we presented for JAMB, over 30 scored above 300, and none scored below 200. JAMB is fully CBT, and we prepared them extensively,” Abdulazeez said.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) conducts the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) using CBT, a system widely regarded as transparent and efficient.
Abdulazeez explained that his school conducted 22 mock UTME examinations to familiarise students with the CBT environment, adding that the strong performance recorded in the UTME contrasted sharply with the WASSCE results.
“In Mathematics, we had students who scored as high as 98 in UTME, yet in WASSCE, we recorded only about three or four A1 grades out of 69 candidates. This is a school where we usually have almost all students scoring A1 in Mathematics,” he said.
“We only had B grades and a few Cs. Out of the 69 students, we had very few credits in English. That is unusual for us,” he added.
The school director maintained that the decline could not be attributed to poor teaching or lack of preparation, stressing that the institution employs only highly qualified teachers and had invested significantly in infrastructure in anticipation of the CBT rollout.
However, he disclosed that the school encountered technical challenges during a mock CBT examination conducted by WAEC officials prior to the main examination.
“They came the first day, and the systems could not connect to their server. They returned the next day, but the exercise was still not successful,” he said.
Due to these issues, Abdulazeez said the school sought and obtained approval from WAEC to conduct the examination using the traditional paper-based format, despite being initially listed for CBT.
Alleged Glitches Recorded In 2025
He further revealed that a similar experience occurred during the 2025 WASSCE, where students’ grades appeared to change after initial release.
“Last year, some students who were expecting A1 were given B, and those expecting B were given C. Later, we noticed adjustments,some Bs became A1, and Cs moved to B,” he said.
The experience, he noted, made the school delay publishing the 2026 results in anticipation of possible revisions, but no changes were recorded.
Abdulazeez also raised concerns about the concept of serialisation, where candidates receive different versions of examination questions.
“I suspect the issue may be linked to serialisation, especially in subjects like Mathematics, English, Economics and Biology. Interestingly, we did not observe similar problems in subjects where serialisation is less prominent,” he said.
He called for an independent review of the 2026 WASSCE results to ensure fairness and protect students’ academic futures.
“If examinations are not conducted properly, it should not affect the future of these children,” he said.
“Students who performed excellently in JAMB and even passed the General Certificate Examination are now receiving D7, E8 and F9 in WAEC. That raises serious questions,” the administrator said.
He added that at least two students who had already secured admission into the University of Ibadan were recorded as having failed Mathematics and English Language in the WASSCE results, potentially jeopardising their admission status.
An educationist, Fola Adekeye, urged the examination body to uphold transparency and ensure that its processes meet acceptable standards of integrity.
Expert Calls For Thorough Investigation
He called on WAEC to thoroughly investigate the complaints and provide clarity on the grading system, particularly in light of the ongoing transition to CBT.
Stakeholders have also highlighted the need for improved technical infrastructure and system reliability to prevent glitches that could compromise examination outcomes.
While CBT is widely seen as a step toward modernising Nigeria’s examination system, critics argue that its implementation must be carefully managed to avoid unintended consequences.
They stressed that any technological transition must prioritise accuracy, fairness and accountability, given the high stakes involved for candidates.
Efforts to obtain an official response from WAEC on the allegations were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
However, observers say the examination body may need to urgently address the concerns to restore confidence and reassure candidates, parents and schools of the credibility of its results.