WAEC 2025 Results: Over 1.2 Million Students Pass, But Performance Drops by 9% Compared to Last Year
The moment every student has been waiting for finally arrived — the 2025 WAEC May/June results are out. But while millions rushed to check their scores, this year’s story isn’t quite as sweet as last year’s.
Key Highlights of the 2025 WAEC Results
At a press briefing in Yaba, the Head of WAEC Nigeria, Dr Amos Dangut, announced that 1,969,313 candidates sat for the exam — including students from schools in Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, and Equatorial Guinea that follow Nigeria’s curriculum.
Out of this number:
- 1,239,884 candidates (62.96%) earned credits in at least five subjects including English Language and Mathematics.
- 1,794,821 candidates (91.14%) earned credits in at least five subjects, whether or not English and Maths were included.
While these figures may sound impressive, they reveal a worrying trend: performance dropped by 9.16 percentage points compared to 2024, when 72.12% of students passed the five-credit benchmark with English and Maths.
Gender Performance Breakdown
- Male students: 582,065 (46.95%)
- Female students: 657,819 (53.05%)
This year, girls slightly outperformed boys in meeting the five-credit benchmark, continuing a trend seen in previous years.
Special Needs Candidates
A total of 12,178 candidates with special needs participated in the exam, including:
- 112 visually impaired
- 615 hearing impaired
- 37 physically challenged
- 52 with mental challenges
WAEC confirmed that all received the required support, and their results have been released.
Pending Results and Technical Delays
So far, 1,763,470 candidates (89.55%) have had their results fully processed. However, 205,916 candidates still have one or more subjects pending due to technical issues. WAEC assured that these will be resolved promptly.
Exam Malpractice Cases
Results of 191,053 candidates (9.7%) have been withheld over suspected exam malpractice — a slight improvement compared to 2024’s 11.92%. Investigations are ongoing, and affected candidates can submit complaints through WAEC complaints page.
The Takeaway
While over 1.2 million students achieved the required benchmark, the sharp performance decline is a wake-up call for students, teachers, and parents alike. As the saying goes in Naija: “Person wey dey read go still sabi pass.”
You may also like to read: WAEC Temporarily Withdraws 2025 WASSCE Results Over Technical Issues: Here’s What You Need to Know
