The provisional results for the 2024 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) have been released, with a notable emphasis on disciplinary actions due to widespread examination malpractice.
In a statement released on Saturday, October 19, 2024, WAEC announced that the results for school candidates would be sent to individual schools via district education offices.
A total of 569,236 school candidates participated in the exams, nearly evenly distributed between 282,703 boys and 286,533 girls.
1,390 private candidates sat for the BECE, which was conducted across 15 regional centres. However, the results are marred by the fact that 3,845 registered school candidates and 57 private candidates were absent from the exams.
WAEC’s investigations into irregularities have resulted in significant penalties. The council cancelled the subject results of 377 school candidates and 3 private candidates for misconduct, including the use of unauthorized materials and collusion.
The entire results of 41 school candidates and 1 private candidate were nullified due to serious violations.
There are currently 33 school candidates and 3 private candidates whose results have been withheld while investigations are ongoing. Results from 149 schools have also been held back due to reported irregularities, with WAEC indicating that these results could either be cancelled or cleared based on the outcomes of the inquiries.
Despite these challenges, WAEC has emphasized its commitment to ensuring the integrity of its examinations and is actively investigating all reported cases of malpractice.
The council assures the public that thorough reviews will be conducted before final decisions are made regarding withheld results.
