Over 500,000 candidates sat the exam, but thousands face penalties for malpractice as English Language performance continues to decline.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the provisional results for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates in Ghana—but for thousands of students, the news came with a heavy price. A total of 8,295 candidates have had their results either cancelled or withheld following investigations into examination irregularities
The Numbers Behind the Headlines
This year, 512,862 candidates from 1,022 schools sat for the examination, comprising 225,270 males and 287,592 females. That marks an 11.07% increase compared to the 461,736 candidates who registered in 2025. Of the total, 5,049 candidates (0.98%) were absent from the examination .
But the figures that have captured the most attention relate to exam malpractice. At its 42nd meeting held on August 7, 2026, the Ghana Examinations Committee approved the following sanctions :
Offence Number Affected Penalty
Bringing foreign materials (notes, textbooks, printed material) into exam halls 7,434 candidates Subject results cancelled
Possession of mobile phones in exam halls 861 candidates Entire results cancelled
Various suspected offences (under investigation) 957 candidates Subject results withheld
Various suspected offences (under investigation) 270 candidates Entire results withheld
Alleged collusion 169 schools Subject results withheld pending investigation
Mobile Phones: A Zero-Tolerance Offence
WAEC has maintained a firm stance on mobile phone possession, and this year was no exception. According to John K. Kapi, WAEC's Head of Public Affairs, the Council's regulations require the cancellation of a candidate's entire results once a mobile phone is found in the examination hall—regardless of whether the device was actually used .
Mr. Kapi expressed concern that candidates continue to smuggle phones into examination centres despite directives for thorough searches by supervisors and invigilators. "It is possible that the candidates devise a means of concealing these from the invigilators who are searching, or that the search is not thorough," he noted .
Investigations Ongoing for 169 Schools
WAEC has also withheld subject results from candidates at 169 schools on suspicion of collusion. These cases remain under active investigation, with a decision on whether to release or permanently cancel the results expected by October 30, 2026 .
Candidates whose results have been cancelled or withheld have been directed to visit WAEC's irregularity and investigations platform for further information on their specific cases .
Subject Performance: Gains and One Worrying Decline
Amid the controversy over cancelled results, the performance statistics also tell an interesting story. Social Studies emerged as the best-performing core subject, with 78.04% of candidates scoring between A1 and C6—a significant jump from 55.82% in 2025 .
Other core subjects showed improvement:
Mathematics (Core): 60.75% scored A1-C6, up from 48.73% in 2025
Integrated Science: 62.08% scored A1-C6, up from 57.74% in 2025
However, English Language recorded a worrying trend. Only 62.40% of candidates passed with grades A1 to C6, while 55,940 candidates (11.08%) scored the lowest grade, F9. WAEC noted that English Language is the only core subject that has consistently declined from 2023 through to 2026—a trend that will concern educators and policymakers alike .
Warning Against Fraudsters
In a statement that will resonate with many anxious candidates and parents, WAEC also warned the public against fraudsters who claim they can upgrade examination results for a fee. The Council stressed that its results are secured and can be verified through its official results verification system and QR code authentication .
What This Means for Affected Candidates
For the thousands of candidates whose results have been cancelled or withheld, the path forward is uncertain. Those who lost their subject results for bringing foreign materials may still have the option to rewrite those subjects in future examinations. However, candidates whose entire results were cancelled for mobile phone possession face a more severe setback .
WAEC has made it clear that the integrity of the examination process is paramount. As the Council continues its investigations—particularly into the 169 schools under review for collusion—more students may yet face consequences.
The 2026 WASSCE results have been uploaded online, and login credentials have been shared with school heads. Individual candidates can check their results directly through the WAEC website.
Copyright © 1994 - 2026 GhanaWeb. All rights reserved.
