- Areghan confirms approved results uploaded, exam lasted seven weeks
- Frustrated candidates discovered fake exams in examination hall
The results of 262,803 candidates are being withheld, according to the West African Examination Council, since there have been numerous instances of exam misconduct documented.
Since he will be retiring in a few weeks, Patrick Areghan, the Head of Nigeria’s Office (HNO) of WAEC, who made the news in Lagos, also made mention of his departure from the testing organisation.
The withheld results accounted for 16.29% of the total 1,613,733 candidates who took the exam, the Head of Nigeria Office, Mr. Patrick Areghan, said in a press conference on Monday. The press conference was to announce the release of the results for the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination for School Candidates in Nigeria.
He said, “The results of 262,803 candidates, representing 16.29% of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, are being withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice. This is (6.54%) lower than the 22.83% recorded in the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2022.
“The reasons for this are not far-fetched. Candidates are no longer ready to study, they lack self-confidence, and their preparations for examinations are poor. There is over-reliance on the so-called ‘Expo’, which is non-existent. Candidates got frustrated when they got to the examination hall and discovered that all they had celebrated was fake.”
Areghan revealed that the approved results were being uploaded as of press time, saying the exam spanned seven weeks, from May 8 to June 23, 2023.