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The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is facing renewed criticism following the temporary closure of its result checker portal on Wednesday evening, which it said was due to "technical issues."
This announcement, shared via WAEC's official X account, @waecnigeria, reignited outrage among many Nigerians frustrated by the dismal performance in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, especially in English Language.
"WAEC informs the public that the result checker portal @waecdirect.org is temporarily shut down because of technical problems.
However, the Council is working hard to ensure that candidates can access their results within the next 24 hours. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused," the notice stated.
The announcement has intensified speculation and dissatisfaction regarding the examination body's credibility, particularly after it was revealed that only 38.32 percent of the 1,969,313 candidates who took the 2025 WASSCE achieved credits in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics—the lowest performance in a decade.
Numerous candidates and concerned Nigerians criticized WAEC's logistical failures, particularly related to the postponed English Language exam, which was allegedly held late into the night at many centers on May 28.
On social media, users shared their results showing passes in other subjects but failures in English, calling for a thorough review of the English Language papers. Mark Imohi tweeted at @sikimark, “It’s alarming that the English exam, which was delayed nationwide, has led to widespread failures. If JAMB could correct mistakes, we hope WAEC will address this issue.
This is a national shame.” Another user, @_samad1, expressed frustration, stating, “We took our exams at 8 pm. We were given only one hour or 30 minutes to answer questions meant for two and a half hours. There was no electricity, and it felt rushed. Please reconsider.”
Some students remained hopeful that when the portal reopens, their scores might change. “Once the portal is back up, you’ll see some magic,” tweeted Daniel Ebitimi (@ebitimi_da15726).
Others suggested that the poor grading might be due to deliberate manipulation and revenue generation motives. “Like JAMB, WAEC is jeopardizing the future of Nigerian students. If the many D’s, E’s, and F8’s in English are reevaluated, WAEC will face serious consequences,” posted @JayTrezy.
Parents also joined in expressing their confusion over how their children could excel in other subjects yet fail English. A parent tweeted, “My daughter achieved five A1s and two B2s, only to get D7 in English and her Physics results withheld,” at @Johnway11145073.
Another user, @DEYHOT_official, implored, “WAEC, I beg you, please recheck the English Language exam. I can’t accept this result. I worked so hard to pay for this exam, and now you’ve failed me.
This will impact my future.” Some even called for a complete reevaluation of the 2025 results. “We reject this year’s results, especially in English and Maths. WAEC must act responsibly to prevent mass protests,” tweeted @pastorbtdaniels.
The Teacher, @MarquizDejavex, added, “Students sat for the English paper at midnight, and yet WAEC failed them.” King Jeporphs, @e_okwori asked, “Students who were unfairly graded in English should tag the presidency and the Minister of Education to have an external body review the entire exam process.”
WAEC has not yet provided any further clarification regarding the grading of English Language or responded to the growing calls for a review of the affected scripts.
