By: Binta Jaiteh
The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MOBSE) has suspended 631 candidates over suspected examination malpractice, following the announcement of the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination Results (WASSCE).
In a statement issued yesterday, the ministry disclosed that results of 631 candidates flagged for suspected examination malpractice. Therefore, the results have been withheld pending the outcome of the council’s adjudication process.
The ministry affirmed that the milestone was a firm stance against any form of academic dishonesty.
According to the release, this year saw a significant increase in candidature, with 20,247 candidates from 156 Senior Secondary Schools registering for the examination, representing a 12.22% rise from the 18,042 candidates in 2024.
“Of these candidates, 37.56% were male (7,604) and 62.44% were female (12,643). The candidates registered in 40 subjects spanning a broad spectrum, including English Language, Mathematics, Civic Education, as well as Science, Arts, Commerce, Technical, and Vocational subjects,” the release noted.
The Ministry pointed out that a total of 961 candidates, representing 5.11% of the 18,819 candidates with complete records, achieved credit passes in five or more subjects, including the critical subjects English Language and Mathematics, in which 44.22% were male and 55.78% were female.
“We recognize that while this achievement demonstrates commendable effort by the candidates, there remains substantial room for improvement in foundational subject mastery,” it added.
The Ministry acknowledged that a notable portion of students, though fewer, have excelled across many subjects. 457 students (2.43%) have credit passes in 9 subjects, while 588 students (3.12%) have achieved this in 8 subjects.
“This demonstrates that some students are performing at a very high level, mastering a broad range of subjects. The largest groups of students are clustered in the middle range, with credit passes in 3 to 6 subjects – for example, 1,799 students (9.03%) have credit passes in 3 subjects, and 806 students (4.28%) have credit passes in 6 subjects. This indicates a promising foundation for many, and with targeted support, these students can boost their performance further,” the release stated.
MOBSE elaborated that the statistics were based on the majority of candidates, 18,819 (92.94%); 797 incomplete records are still being processed and may influence the final performance data. “While the percentage of candidates obtaining credit passes in both English Language (19.8%) and Mathematics (7.3%) remains unacceptably low, underscoring persistent challenges in these foundational learning areas, the overall results of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), 2025, provide clear evidence of students’ remarkable capabilities in several key disciplines,” it added.
However, the achievements were said to be a testament to the potential and resilience of the students when equipped with the right resources, teaching, and encouragement.
