Results are cancelled when candidates are found guilty of examination malpractice.

No. Accreditation is carried out by the Federal Ministry of Education alone.

No. The marking of scripts is handled by examiners appointed by WAEC. They are usually educationists who are familiar with the classroom situation and their identities are not supposed to be disclosed.

Results are partially released due to queries arising from one or a combination of the following mistakes:

  • Wrong transfer of examination numbers in one or more papers;
  • Failure to shade examination numbers;
  • Shading objective sheets with biro pens instead of pencil;
  • Mistakes in entries leading to duplication of subjects.

Yes, but only if (s)he is a school candidate. No provision is made for a private candidate in this regard. Even then, a school candidate does not write directly to WAEC. It is her/his principal who, knowing the candidate's ability, forwards a request for the review of the candidate's scripts. Of course, there is a specified fee to be paid on every paper to be reviewed. Such requests should be sent in within sixty days of any examination.

A Private candidate sends his/her request for an amendment to WAEC directly, while in the case of a school candidate it is the principal who makes the request. In the two instances, the original copy of the certificate should be sent along with the application for amendment. WAEC charges a fee for the amendment where it is discovered that the error emanated from the candidate, otherwise, it is free.

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.

The Council usually advertises entry periods and entry procedures in national newspapers. In respect of the WASSCE for example, the Council conducts three exams each year; the first in February for private candidates, the second in May/June for school candidates and the third in November/December also for private candidates.

Registration for either School candidates' or the Private candidates' WASSCE is done online. The School candidate's exam is for candidates registered with a school and all entry formalities are undertaken by the schools presenting candidates.

In the case of the private candidates' examination, entry is on an individual basis. A prospective candidate purchases the entry scratch card which enables him/her to complete the entry form on the Council's registration website. A registered candidate subsequently prints out from the website the identification photo card, which contains vital information about the candidate's centre name, location, number and the subjects entered for. The examination timetable and subject syllabuses are also made available to prospective candidates on the website.

It is important to note that once the prescribed fee is paid to the accredited selling agent, a prospective candidate obtains two PINs, one for the online registration and the other for the online checking of results.