At least 183,233 candidates who sat the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) did not obtain the required A1–C6 credit pass in Core Mathematics, potentially shutting them out of university education in Ghana unless they improve their grades through a subsequent examination.

The figure represents a major concern for the country’s tertiary education pipeline because Core Mathematics is one of the key subjects considered for university admission.

While not every candidate who failed to obtain a credit pass in Mathematics will necessarily be excluded from tertiary education, the results point to a substantial pool of young people who may be unable to meet the minimum admission requirements of many universities.

An analysis of the results released by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) shows that the challenge extends beyond Mathematics to the other core subjects, with significant numbers failing to secure the A1–C6 grades required for admission.

The scale of the problem is particularly striking when viewed against the total number of candidates who took the examination.

The Mathematics results are especially worrying, with 183,233 candidates obtaining grades D7, E8 or F9 and, consequently, failing to secure the A1–C6 credit pass required by many universities.

The Mathematics shortfall is compounded by significant numbers of candidates who also failed to obtain credit passes in English Language and Integrated Science, two other important core subjects.

183,233 fail Mathematics credit test

Out of the candidates who wrote Core Mathematics, 306,234, representing 60.75%, obtained grades A1–C6, which constitute credit passes.

However, 54,420 candidates (10.80%) obtained D7, while 54,121 candidates (10.74%) obtained E8.

A further 74,692 candidates, representing 14.82%, obtained F9.

The three lower grades—D7, E8 and F9—together account for 183,233 candidates who did not obtain the A1–C6 credit pass in Core Mathematics.

The figure makes Mathematics the core subject with the largest number of candidates failing to attain the credit threshold among the four subjects analysed.

The distribution of the lower grades also shows the depth of the challenge.

More than 54,000 candidates fell into the D7 category, another 54,121 obtained E8, while almost 75,000 candidates recorded F9.

Indeed, the 74,692 candidates who obtained F9 in Mathematics represent 14.82% of the candidates and constitute a particularly worrying component of the results.

When the E8 and F9 categories are combined, 128,813 candidates obtained either E8 or F9 in Mathematics.

English Language affects 142,791 candidates

The performance in English Language also presents a significant concern, particularly because English, alongside Mathematics, is one of the subjects most commonly required for university admission.

WAEC reported that 315,094 candidates, representing 62.40%, obtained A1–C6 in English Language.

However, 49,771 candidates (9.86%) obtained D7, while 37,080 candidates (7.34%) obtained E8.

Another 55,940 candidates (11.08%) obtained F9.

The total number of candidates who failed to secure the A1–C6 credit pass in English Language was therefore 142,791.

The F9 figure alone is significant, accounting for 55,940 candidates, while another 86,851 candidates obtained either D7 or E8.

This means that nearly 143,000 candidates did not attain the credit level in English Language, potentially creating another obstacle for those seeking admission to universities and other higher education institutions.

177,311 below credit level in Integrated Science

Integrated Science recorded an even larger number of candidates below the credit threshold than English Language.

A total of 309,605 candidates, representing 62.08%, obtained grades A1–C6 in the subject.

However, 54,649 candidates (10.96%) obtained D7, 46,526 candidates (9.33%) obtained E8, while 76,136 candidates (15.27%) recorded F9.

The combined number of candidates obtaining D7, E8 and F9 was 177,311.

Integrated Science therefore recorded the second-highest number of candidates below the A1–C6 threshold after Core Mathematics.

The number of candidates obtaining F9 was particularly high.

At 76,136, the F9 figure was higher than that recorded in Mathematics, where 74,692 candidates obtained F9.

The two subjects therefore recorded more than 150,000 F9 grades combined, according to the figures provided.

Social Studies records strongest performance

Social Studies, by contrast, recorded a considerably stronger performance.

A total of 393,918 candidates, representing 78.04%, obtained A1–C6 in the subject.

The number obtaining D7 was 35,435 candidates (7.02%), while 25,253 candidates, representing 5%, obtained E8.

Another 39,416 candidates (7.81%) received F9.

The total number of candidates below the A1–C6 credit threshold was therefore 100,104.

Although the figure is considerably lower than the numbers recorded in Mathematics, Integrated Science and English Language, it still means that more than 100,000 candidates did not obtain the required credit level in Social Studies.

Social Studies nevertheless recorded the strongest performance among the four core subjects, with 78.04% of candidates obtaining A1–C6.

Mathematics remains the critical barrier

The significance of the 183,233 candidates who failed to secure A1–C6 in Mathematics goes beyond the examination results.

Credit passes in Core English, Core Mathematics and either Integrated Science or Social Studies, together with three relevant elective subjects, are required for university admission.

Most higher education institutions also require candidates to obtain at least five credit passes, C6 and above, including English Language and Mathematics, in one or two sittings.

This means that candidates who fail to obtain the required grade in Mathematics or English Language may not meet the basic academic requirements for admission to many university programmes, even if they perform well in their elective subjects.

For the 183,233 candidates who fell below the A1–C6 threshold in Mathematics, therefore, the result could significantly affect their immediate plans for university education.

The situation is especially serious for candidates whose intended programmes have additional requirements in Mathematics or related subjects.

The scale of the four-core-subject challenge

The four subjects collectively reveal a substantial number of candidates falling below the credit-pass benchmark.

Core Mathematics recorded 183,233 candidates below A1–C6.

Integrated Science followed with 177,311, while English Language recorded 142,791.

Social Studies recorded 100,104 candidates below the credit level.

The figures show that Mathematics had the largest absolute number of candidates failing to obtain the credit pass, while Social Studies had the highest proportion obtaining A1–C6.

The difference between the two subjects is considerable.

While 78.04% of candidates obtained A1–C6 in Social Studies, only 60.75% achieved the same benchmark in Mathematics.

English Language recorded 62.40%, while Integrated Science recorded 62.08%.

The results therefore place Mathematics at the bottom in terms of the proportion of candidates achieving credit passes among the four core subjects.

F9 figures expose depth of problem

The F9 results provide another indication of the scale of the challenge.

Core Mathematics recorded 74,692 F9 grades, representing 14.82%.

Integrated Science recorded an even higher 76,136 F9 grades, representing 15.27%.

English Language had 55,940 F9 grades, representing 11.08%, while Social Studies recorded 39,416 F9 grades, representing 7.81%.

The figures indicate that the problem is not simply one of candidates narrowly missing the credit threshold.

Large numbers of candidates performed substantially below the A1–C6 benchmark, particularly in Mathematics and Integrated Science.

In Mathematics alone, the combined number of D7 and E8 grades was 108,541, while the F9 category added another 74,692.

In Integrated Science, D7 and E8 accounted for 101,175 candidates, with another 76,136 obtaining F9.

University aspirations under pressure

The results could therefore have significant implications for the transition from senior high school to tertiary education.

Candidates who have obtained the necessary credit passes in their core and elective subjects can proceed to compete for admission, subject to the requirements of individual institutions and programmes.

However, those who have failed to obtain the required credit in Mathematics or English Language may face restrictions in accessing university education immediately after the examination.

The 183,233 candidates affected by the Mathematics result represent the largest single group facing such a challenge.

For some, the result could mean seeking alternative tertiary pathways, applying to institutions with different requirements or rewriting the subject to improve their grades.

It is important, however, to distinguish between failing to obtain a credit pass in an individual subject and being permanently excluded from university education.

The 183,233 candidates should not automatically be interpreted as 183,233 candidates who will never attend university.

Admission requirements differ among institutions and programmes, and candidates may have opportunities to rewrite subjects in subsequent examination sittings.

What the results demonstrate is the size of the immediate admission challenge confronting them.

A broader education concern

Beyond university admission, the results raise broader questions about learning outcomes in Ghana’s senior high schools.

The fact that more than 183,000 candidates failed to obtain a credit pass in Core Mathematics, while 177,311 fell below the same threshold in Integrated Science, points to a challenge that extends beyond individual candidates.

The figures provide education authorities, schools, teachers and parents with a significant body of evidence for examining the factors contributing to weak performance in the core subjects.

The Mathematics result is particularly important because of the subject’s central role in university admission and in many academic and professional programmes.

The 306,234 candidates who obtained A1–C6 demonstrate that a majority of candidates crossed the credit threshold.

However, the 183,233 who did not show that a very large minority remains below the standard required by many higher education institutions.

The 2026 WASSCE warning

The 2026 WASSCE results have therefore exposed a substantial challenge at the point where secondary education meets tertiary education.

The strongest performance among the four core subjects was recorded in Social Studies, where 393,918 candidates (78.04 per cent) obtained A1–C6.

English Language followed with 315,094 candidates (62.40%), while Integrated Science recorded 309,605 candidates (62.08%).

Core Mathematics recorded 306,234 candidates (60.75%) obtaining the credit pass.

But beneath those headline figures lies the scale of the candidates who did not meet the threshold.

There were 183,233 candidates below A1–C6 in Mathematics, 177,311 in Integrated Science, 142,791 in English Language and 100,104 in Social Studies.

For the candidates, the figures are more than examination statistics.

They could determine whether they proceed directly to university, seek alternative pathways or return to the examination room in an effort to improve their grades.

With 183,233 candidates failing to obtain the required credit in Core Mathematics, the 2026 WASSCE results have placed Mathematics firmly at the centre of the debate over access to university education in Ghana.