There are three categories of officials: supervisors, invigilators and inspectors. Supervisors are teachers nominated by the various State Ministries of Education. They are actually responsible for conducting the exams at the various centres. It is their responsibility to collect question papers from the custodian and return answer scripts to the custodian centres.

Invigilators are usually teaching staff nominated by their school principals to assist the supervisors at the centres, while inspectors are WAEC staff members who go from one centre to another when the examination is in progress.

Candidates are required to enter and sit for a minimum of eight (8) and maximum of nine (9) subjects. These must include the following:

• English Language
• General Mathematics
• *Citizenship and Heritage Studies Education
• *Digital Technologies

These are the core subjects. In addition to the above, all candidates must complete their registered subjects from the listed below:

Science: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Agriculture, Further Mathematics, Physical Education, Health Education, Foods & Nutrition, Geography, Technical Drawing

Humanities: Nigerian History, Government, Christian Religious Studies, Islamic Studies, One Nigerian Language (Hausa/Igbo/Yoruba), French, Arabic, Visual Art, Music, Literature-in-English, Home Management, Catering Craft

Business: Accounting, Commerce, Marketing, Economics

Trade Subjects:  Fashion Design and Garment Making, Livestock Farming, Beauty and Cosmetology, Computer Hardware and GSM Repairs, Solar Photovoltaic installation and maintenance, Horticulture and Crop Production.

Note: *Citizenship and Heritage Studies, and Digital Technologies are new subjects that require the development of new curricula and examination syllabuses and would therefore not be examined until 2028 (after a full implementation of the syllabus).

Candidates registering for WASSCE in 2026 and 2027 would only be able to sit two (2) core subjects, namely:

1. English Language
2. General Mathematics

In addition to the two (2) core subjects currently available, candidates are to select six or seven other subjects to make a minimum of eight subjects and a maximum of nine subjects.

WAEC examiners are mostly graduate teachers in secondary schools, and some lecturers in colleges of education, universities and polytechnics. A prospective examiner must be a graduate in the subject he is appointed to mark. In addition, he must have a minimum of two years of classroom teaching experience and must be recommended by the principal of the school in which he teaches.

First, a committee of experts draws up a marking guide. All appointed examiners are then thoroughly drilled in all aspects of the marking scheme in a simulated marking exercise called co-ordination. Actual marking does not start until the coordinating officers are satisfied that all examiners know what is required of them. Even when actual marking begins, the examiners are not left entirely on their own.

They are organised into small groups, each being supervised by a highly experienced examiner called a Team Leader. The Team Leader checks and vets the group members' marking progressively to ensure that they are keeping to the guidelines.

The Team Leaders themselves are supervised by more experienced examiners called Chief Examiners. When marking is finally completed, WAEC still goes ahead to employ another group of people called Checkers. The main role of Checkers is to ensure that all marks awarded by examiners are correctly recorded and transferred to the appropriate score sheets.

WAEC certificates have no expiry date.