West African Examinations Council has released the 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination results, with 65.24 per cent of candidates who wrote the exam securing 5 credits in English Language and Mathematics subjects.
The Head of Nigeria National Office of the council, Mr Patrick Areghan, disclosed this on Monday, announcing that a total of one million, five hundred and seventy-three thousand, eight hundred and forty-nine (1,573,849) candidates registered for the examination from nineteen thousand, four hundred and twenty-five (19,425) recognised secondary schools in the country.
Of the number that registered for the examination, one million, five hundred and sixty thousand, two hundred and sixty-one (1,560,261) candidates sat the examination.
Stating that the body needed to be praised for the timely release of results after 45 days of completion of the examination that ran between August 16 and October 8, 2021, despite the myriad of challenges it faced in some parts of the country, coupled with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said: “The examination, which was an international one, took place simultaneously throughout the five-member countries of the Council – The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, using the same International Timetable.
“The examination spanned seven weeks, between August 16 and October 8, 2021. Throughout the period, we were faced with serious security challenges in the South-East (IPOB and ESN sit-at-home order) and banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, etc, in the north and other parts of the country. All these, coupled with the continuous effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic, made the whole exercise a Herculean one.
“In conducting the examination, we were guided by the various measures/protocols rolled out by the federal and various state governments, aimed at checking the spread of the coronavirus disease. The coordination of examiners and marking of candidates’ scripts took place at eighty-five (85) traditional and three (3) e-marking venues throughout the country. A total of seventy-seven thousand, three hundred and sixty-eight (77,368) examiners participated in the coordination and marking exercise.
“The examination ended on October 8, 2021, and today, Monday, November 22, 2021 – 45 days after the conduct of the last paper, we are releasing the result! This is a record time, taking into consideration the fact that we lost a week to insecurity, during the marking exercise in the South East, occasioned by the heightened tension before and during the Anambra Gubernatorial election.
“It is, therefore, not true, as you can see, that WAEC delayed the release of the results of the WASSCE (SC) 2021 as is being speculated in some quarters. We have kept to our promise, in spite of all odds. We should be praised rather than being vilified. Nothing can be faster or earlier than what we have done. We do not release results without marking the scripts and processing the scores. We are grateful to the examiners for doing a good job within the stipulated period.
“A total of One Million, Five Hundred and Seventy-Three Thousand, Eight Hundred and Forty-Nine (1,573,849) candidates registered for the examination from Nineteen Thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty Five (19,425) recognised secondary schools in the country. Of the number that registered for the examination, One Million, Five Hundred and Sixty Thousand, Two Hundred and Sixty One (1,560,261) candidates sat the examination.
“The examination was also administered to candidates from some schools in the Benin Republic and Cote d’Ivoire, where the Nigeria curriculum for Senior Secondary School is being used. Schools in Equatorial Guinea could not present candidates for the examination due to logistic challenges posed by COVID-19. ” He said.
Mr Areghan explained, “I also wish to report that a total of One Thousand, Five Hundred and Thirty-Nine (1,539) candidates, with varying degrees of Special Needs, registered for the examination. Out of this number, Four Hundred and Sixty (460) were visually challenged, Five Hundred and Eighty-Two (582) had impaired hearing; Three Hundred and Sixty Two (362) were spastic cum mentally challenged and Fifty Nine (59) were physically challenged. All these candidates were adequately provided for in the administration of the examination. The results of these candidates have been processed and are also being released along with those of other candidates.
“Of the total number of One Million, Five Hundred and Sixty Thousand, Two Hundred and Sixty One (1,560,261) candidates that sat the examination, Seven Hundred and Eighty-Four Thousand, Six Hundred and Seventy-Seven (784,677) were males while Seven Hundred and Seventy-Five Thousand, Five Hundred and Eighty-Four (775,584) were females, representing 50.29% and 49.71%, respectively.
“Out of the total number of candidates that sat the examination in Nigeria, One Million, Two Hundred and Fifty-Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety (1,256,990) candidates, representing 80.56% have their results fully processed and released while Three Hundred and Three Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy One (303,271) candidates, representing 19.44% have a few of their subjects still being processed due to some issues being resolved. Efforts are, however, being made to speedily complete the processing to enable all the affected candidates to get their results fully processed and released within the next week.”