As the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates progresses across Nigeria, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has issued a stern warning against examination malpractice, declaring zero tolerance for any acts of dishonesty.
The council warned that any candidate caught in dishonest acts during the ongoing WASSCE risks outright cancellation of results and possible prosecution.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and obtained by DevReporting, WAEC said that despite initial challenges, the conduct of the WASSCE for school candidates has proceeded smoothly across the country since its commencement on 24 April.
It however, raised concerns over attempts by certain individuals and groups to subvert the integrity of the examination through fraudulent means, urging stakeholders, parents, and the general public to support its efforts in safeguarding the credibility of the assessment process.
“This is a clarion call to all well-meaning Nigerians to collaborate with WAEC to ensure that the fraudulent activities of certain unscrupulous elements are frustrated in order not to erode the diligent efforts of candidates who have prepared tirelessly for the examination,” the statement reads.
Technological tools deployed to fight malpractice
The council warned that it has deployed technological applications capable of identifying and tracking candidates who patronise rogue websites and use their materials during the examination.
“In compliance with WAEC’s rules and regulations for dealing with cases of irregularity in its examinations, any candidate found to have posted or received live questions or answers online, shall have his or her entire results withheld, pending investigation. If a candidate is found culpable, his/her entire result shall be cancelled,” the council said.
It further threatened that the matter may also be reported to the Nigeria Police Force for investigation and prosecution of all parties involved.
Lateness, Impersonation
As part of measures to maintain order and discipline, WAEC reminded candidates that punctuality is mandatory as all candidates are expected to be seated in the examination hall before each paper begins. It noted that examination supervisors have been instructed to report cases of lateness.
The council also highlighted its continued use of the Candidates Identity Verification, Attendance, Malpractice and Post Examinations Management System (CIVAMPEMS) to strengthen examination integrity.
According to the statement, the CIVAMPEMS platform serves multiple functions, including verifying the identity of candidates to prevent impersonation, capturing candidates’ attendance at examination centres, and reporting acts of malpractice taking place during the examination for further post-examination processing.
Council seeks stakeholders’ support
WAEC described examination malpractice as a serious threat to quality education and national development while it called for the active cooperation between the council and all its stakeholders to eliminate what it described as “a cancer in the education sector.”
“Examination malpractice is the bane of quality education and undermines national development. It is a cancer in the education sector which requires a multidimensional approach for total annihilation. In this vein, the active cooperation between WAEC and its stakeholders is invaluable in the light of the foregoing,” the council said.
As a world-class examining body, the council reaffirmed its commitment to excellence, vowing to uphold the integrity of educational assessments without compromise.
The ongoing WASSCE is expected to end on 20 June.