The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has outlined the steps candidates should take if their 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) result is withheld, stressing that a withheld result does not automatically mean it has been cancelled.
The clarification follows the release of the 2026 Computer-Based WASSCE results, during which WAEC announced that the results of 167,486 candidates—representing 8.59 per cent of the 1,950,726 candidates who sat the examination—were withheld over alleged examination malpractice.
Speaking during the official release of the results in Lagos, the Head of the WAEC National Office, Dr. Amos Josiah Dangut, attributed the withheld results to issues such as the use of mobile phones in examination halls despite an existing ban and organised cheating in some schools.
He also disclosed that some supervisors and invigilators found aiding examination malpractice had been arrested and would face disciplinary action through the relevant State Ministries of Education.
According to WAEC, a withheld result simply means the candidate’s case is still under investigation and should not be mistaken for a cancelled result. The council explained that the Nigeria Examinations Committee will review each case before making a final decision.
What Candidates Should Do If Their WAEC Result Is Withheld
WAEC advised affected candidates to:
- Remain calm, as a withheld result does not automatically mean the result has been cancelled.
- Contact their school principal or examination officer for guidance.
- Visit the official WAEC Notice of Examinations Malpractice portal to check the reason for the notice, where available, and submit a representation or defence.
- Check the portal regularly, particularly about four weeks after the release of the results, for updates on their case.
- Obtain information only from official WAEC channels, including its website, verified social media platforms and offices.
- Avoid paying agents or individuals claiming they can release, upgrade or fast-track withheld results, as such claims are often fraudulent.
- Exercise patience, as investigations may take several weeks or even months, depending on the complexity of each case.
WAEC stated that candidates whose cases are cleared during the investigation will have their results released.
However, where examination malpractice is established, the council may cancel the affected subject(s) or invalidate the candidate’s entire result, depending on the severity of the offence.
The examination body also noted that candidates with withheld results may still apply to tertiary institutions using an awaiting result where permitted. However, they must present their final approved result before completing the admission process.
WAEC further reminded candidates that results belonging to students sponsored by state governments indebted to the council may remain unreleased until the outstanding debts are settled.
The council urged candidates, parents and schools to rely only on verified information from WAEC and disregard fake letters, unofficial lists or social media posts claiming that the results of specific schools have been withheld…..See more