The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the provisional results of Ghana’s 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), cancelling the entire results of 861 candidates over examination malpractice.
The results were released on Friday, 5 September 2026, with WAEC also cancelling the subject results of 7,434 candidates for bringing foreign materials, including prepared notes, textbooks and other printed materials, into examination halls.
According to WAEC, the entire results of the 861 candidates were cancelled after they were found in possession of mobile phones during the examination.
The examination body also withheld the subject results of 957 candidates and the entire results of 270 candidates over various suspected offences.
In addition, results involving candidates from 169 schools have been withheld over alleged collusion. WAEC said investigations into those cases are ongoing and the affected results could either be released or cancelled depending on the outcome of the investigations. A decision is expected by 30 October 2026.
Over 512,000 candidates sat for 2026 WASSCE
WAEC said a total of 512,862 candidates from 1,022 schools registered for the 2026 WASSCE.
The figure represents an 11.07 per cent increase compared with the 461,736 candidates who registered for the examination in 2025.
Of the 2026 candidates, 225,270 were male while 287,592 were female. However, 5,049 registered candidates, representing 0.98 per cent, were absent from the examination.
Social Studies records strongest performance
WAEC’s released statistics also show varying performance across the four core subjects.
Social Studies recorded the strongest performance, with 393,918 candidates, representing 78.04 per cent, obtaining grades A1 to C6.
English Language followed with 315,094 candidates, or 62.40 per cent, obtaining A1 to C6.
For Integrated Science, 309,605 candidates, representing 62.08 per cent, obtained A1 to C6, while 306,234 candidates, or 60.75 per cent, achieved the same grade range in Core Mathematics.
However, English Language performance has continued to decline over the past four years. The proportion of candidates obtaining A1 to C6 fell from 73.11 per cent in 2023 to 69.42 per cent in 2024, 69.00 per cent in 2025 and 62.30 per cent in 2026.
WAEC warns candidates against result scammers
WAEC has advised candidates whose results have been cancelled or withheld to visit its official website and use the “Withheld/Cancelled” section to determine the reason for the action and find information on the next steps.
The Council also warned candidates and parents to be cautious of fraudsters who claim they can upgrade examination results in exchange for money.
WAEC said its results are secured and can be authenticated through its results verification system.
Candidates can access their results online through the Council’s official results platform.
The release of the 2026 WASSCE results comes at a critical point for thousands of Ghanaian students seeking admission into universities, colleges and other tertiary institutions.
The examination malpractice figures, meanwhile, are likely to renew debate about examination integrity, the use of mobile phones in examination halls and the effectiveness of measures designed to prevent cheating in West African examinations.
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