The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the provisional results of candidates who sat for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates 2026, disclosing that entries for this year’s exam rose by 11.07 percent compared to the previous year, even as the Council confirmed the cancellation of results for thousands of candidates found culpable of examination malpractice.
According to WAEC, heads of school will be provided with login details to access the results of their respective candidates, while candidates who wish to check their individual results directly may do so through the Council’s website, where the results have now been hosted online.
The Council used the announcement to caution all stakeholders to remain vigilant against fraudsters who falsely promise to upgrade examination results in exchange for payment.
“The release of the 2026 WASSCE results marks an important stage in the academic journey of thousands of candidates, but the sanctions against examination malpractice also reinforce the need for integrity in the conduct of public examinations.”
Waec
WAEC stressed that its results remain fully secured and can be authenticated through its dedicated results verification system, with a QR code available for download to confirm the legitimacy of any released results.
Entry Figures Show Significant Year-On-Year Growth
Providing performance statistics for the 2026 examination, WAEC disclosed that a total of 512,862 candidates, comprising 225,270 males and 287,592 females, drawn from 1,022 schools, sat for this year’s examination.
This figure represents an 11.07% increase over the 2025 entry figure of 461,736 candidates, reflecting continued growth in the number of students progressing through the country’s secondary education system to the point of writing the WASSCE.
The Council further noted that a total of 5,049 candidates, representing 0.98% of the total entry, were absent from the examination.
Cancellations And Sanctions Following Investigations
Following the conclusion of investigations into reported cases of examination irregularities, WAEC disclosed that its 42nd Meeting of the Ghana Examinations Committee, held on Friday, August 7, 2026, approved a series of sanctions against implicated candidates.
According to the Council, subject results were cancelled for 7,434 candidates found to have brought foreign material, including prepared notes, textbooks and other printed material, into examination halls.
In a more severe category, the entire results of 861 candidates were cancelled entirely for being found in possession of mobile phones during the examination.
Additionally, the Committee approved the withholding of subject results for 957 candidates and the entire results of 270 candidates over various suspected offences still being reviewed.
WAEC further disclosed that subject results belonging to candidates from 169 schools remain withheld over alleged collusion, with these cases still under active investigation.The Council said outcomes on these withheld results, whether they are eventually released or cancelled, are expected by October 30, 2026.
WAEC directed candidates whose results have been cancelled or withheld to visit the Council’s irregularity portal at https://irreg.waecgh.org and select the withheld or cancelled option on the homepage.
The Council explained that affected candidates would be redirected to a dedicated irregularity and investigations page, which displays the specific reasons behind the withholding or cancellation of their results, along with guidance on the next steps available to them.
Core Subject Performance Trends
Beyond the irregularity report, WAEC’s performance statistics offered insight into how candidates fared across the four core subjects examined. In English Language, 62.40 percent of candidates obtained grades A1 to C6, while Mathematics (Core) recorded 60.75 percent within the same grade band.
Integrated Science saw 62.08 percent of candidates achieve A1 to C6, while Social Studies recorded the strongest performance among the core subjects, with 78.04 percent of candidates obtaining grades within that range.
Comparing this year’s performance against the previous three years, the data shows notable fluctuation across subjects. English Language performance declined steadily from 73.11% in 2023 to 62.40% in 2026, while Mathematics (Core) recorded a significant recovery, rising from 48.73% in 2025 to 60.75% in 2026.
Integrated Science similarly improved from 57.74 percent in 2025 to 62.08 percent this year, while Social Studies posted its strongest result across the four-year period, climbing to 78.04 percent in 2026 from 55.82 percent in 2025.
Council Extends Appreciation to Stakeholders
In concluding its statement, WAEC expressed sincere gratitude to all stakeholders who contributed to the successful conduct of the examination and the release of results, specifically acknowledging the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, security agencies, heads of school, supervisors, invigilators, examiners and all others who supported the process in various capacities.
“While the increase in candidate entries reflects growing participation in secondary education, the Council remains committed to protecting the credibility and integrity of the examination through strict measures against irregularities.”“While the increase in candidate entries reflects growing participation in secondary education, the Council remains committed to protecting the credibility and integrity of the examination through strict measures against irregularities.”
Waec
With results now available and investigations into outstanding irregularity cases continuing, attention will likely turn to how the affected schools and candidates respond to the ongoing collusion probe ahead of the October 30 deadline for resolution.
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