The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has withheld the 2026 WASSCE results of 47,454 candidates in Sierra Leone over suspected examination malpractice, more than three times the number withheld last year.
Pupils in Freetown, Sierra Leone (file photo). Photo: ODC-SIERRA-LEONE / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Conrad Sackey, announced the 2026 May/June WASSCE results live on SLBC TV on Tuesday, 27 October, four days after WAEC handed the results to the government.
- Candidates processed: 200,756 from 1,038 schools
- Results withheld: 47,454 (26,735 female, 20,719 male), up from 13,237 in 2025
- Results released: 141,810 candidates who sat at least one subject
- Five credits or more: 91,122 candidates, 64.3% of released results
- Absent from all papers: 11,492 candidates
- Not published for unpaid fees: 368 candidates from five private schools
Why the results were withheld
According to the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), WAEC gave 13 different reasons for withholding results. They include collusion, sharing answers inside the same examination room, and using social media or artificial intelligence to obtain and spread answers between exam centres. The ministry said a full breakdown will be posted on its website and learning platform.
The ministry suggested that the sharp rise may partly reflect stricter monitoring that caught more cases, but said the size of the increase still needs to be investigated.
What happens to the withheld results
A withheld result does not mean a candidate has been found guilty. WAEC may release some or all of the withheld results after its investigations. Where malpractice is confirmed, results can be cancelled under WAEC rules.
The Chief Education Officer, who represents the government at WAEC, will work with the council's committee to speed up decisions, and three respected educationists will observe the process, the ministry said.
Action against officials and schools
The ministry warned that centre managers, supervisors, invigilators, principals and school owners found to be involved could face sanctions. Principals and proprietors linked to repeated malpractice will be referred to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), and the government plans to recover money it paid for candidates who were not eligible. A new WAEC bill is planned for 2027 to allow legal action against people involved in exam malpractice.
Overall performance
Of the candidates whose results were released, 91,122 obtained five or more credits in a single sitting, and the overall pass rate across all subject papers was 81.4%, according to the Sierra Leone Monitor. The minister linked the improvement on 2025 to the government's Free Quality School Education programme and continued teacher training.
AYV News reported that the best candidate nationally was Alfred Farwell Thorpe of the Sierra Leone Grammar School, and the best-performing school was Awada Senior Secondary School in Bo.
How to check your result
- Check whether your result has been withheld on the official WAEC Sierra Leone page: waec-sierra-leone.org/irregularities
- Results are only available on the WAEC portal and through the MBSSE SMS checker.
- The minister warned candidates: "Do not pay money to anyone." Nobody can buy or "fix" a withheld result.
Sources
- Sierra Leone Monitor: Education Minister Announces 2026 WASSCE Results
- Sierraloaded: 2026 WASSCE: WAEC Withholds 47,454 Results in Sierra Leone Over Suspected Malpractice
- Sierraloaded: How to Check if Your 2026 WASSCE Result Has Been Withheld
- AYV News: 2026 WASSCE results: 47,454 results withheld
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