WASSCE Results Delayed Over Probe Across 169 Schools
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Conrad Sackey, announced that the delay in releasing the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results stems from an ongoing probe into alleged examination malpractice across 169 schools.
According to a statement punblishedon his social media handle , the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) withheld thousands of candidate results while investigating severe irregularities, including student collusion, unauthorized foreign materials, and mobile phone usage inside examination halls.
Minister Sackey stressed that rigorous verification remains necessary to preserve academic integrity and protect students who completed the exams honestly.
Addressing widespread rumors on social media and radio broadcasts claiming results would launch on September 25, 2026, Sackey clarified that the circulating document was outdated material from September 2025.
While declining to specify a publication date, the minister assured parents, students, and educators that officials are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and that current data reveals that 163,997 eligible students passed verification, with their WASSCE fees fully covered by state funds for 2026.
However, government auditing uncovered errors in 55,174 out of 219,171 school submissions, flagging duplicate entries, mismatched Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) records, and inaccurate personal data.
Sackey went on to reveal that the ongoing cleanup process saved the government over $1.37 million, which will be redirected toward school infrastructure and educational resources.
He called for public patience as WAEC finishes its ongoing review and verification processes.
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