Ghana’s dream of expanding varsity access has once again collided with the harsh reality of examination performance, as a staggering 220,008 candidates who sat for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) failed to secure the minimum grades required for admission into the nation’s tertiary institutions.
The data, released by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), paints a stark picture of the academic preparedness of this year’s cohort, particularly in the four core subjects that form the foundation of university entry.
Under Ghana’s admission standards, candidates must obtain grades between A1 and C6 in English Language, Core Mathematics, Integrated Science and Social Studies to qualify for university consideration.
The 2025 results reveal deep weaknesses across all four core subjects—weaknesses that collectively shut the door on university access for nearly half the candidates who wrote the exams.
But it is Mathematics—a subject long feared by students and repeatedly identified as a national stumbling block—that emerged once again as the most decisive factor in determining who makes it to university and who does not.
Mathematics: The collapse of performance
The core mathematics results stand out as the single most troubling indicator of Ghana’s learning crisis.
Of all 455,915 candidates who wrote the exams, only 209,068 managed to secure the qualifying A1–C6 grades, representing 48.73%.
This means that a majority—220,008 candidates—did not meet the minimum requirement in a subject that is compulsory for university admission.
The magnitude of these numbers becomes even more alarming when broken down.
Out of the 220,008 who failed to meet the required grade, 52,991 candidates, representing 11.62%, scored D7, a grade just below the cut-off and often considered a borderline performance.
Some 52,145 candidates, representing 12.15%, scored E8, a grade that signifies significant difficulty with the subject and a massive 114,872 candidates, representing 26.77%, scored F9—the lowest possible grade—highlighting deep gaps in foundational mathematical literacy.
This means that more than one in every four mathematics candidates could not demonstrate even basic computational and problem-solving competence at the high school level.
WAEC officials, education analysts, and teacher unions have long warned that Ghana’s mathematics outcomes reflect structural teaching weaknesses, poor student preparation, inadequate resources and, in some cases, a widespread classroom fear of the subject itself.
Social Studies: An unexpected second-worst performer
If mathematics was expected to be problematic, Social Studies was not.
Traditionally considered one of the easiest subjects at the WASSCE level, Social Studies recorded what many education observers are calling a surprising and troubling decline.
Only 248,538 candidates, representing 55.82 percent, scored A1–C6.
While this seems better than Mathematics on the surface, it also means that 196,727 candidates—almost one in every two—failed to reach the C6 threshold.
Breaking down the failure numbers shows the strange pattern more clearly 33,670 candidates scored D7, representing 7.38%, another 40,608 candidates scored E8, representing 9.12% while an astonishing 122,449 candidates, representing 27.50 percent, scored F9—almost identical to the F9 catastrophe seen in Mathematics.
The sheer volume of F9s has puzzled analysts because Social Studies is largely content-driven and generally viewed as accessible even to moderately prepared students.
WAEC’s statement did not immediately clarify whether the unexpected slump may be linked to syllabus changes, widespread malpractice attempts, poor school preparation or shifts in examiner standards.
Integrated Science: Progress with persistent gaps
Integrated Science, another core subject, produced relatively stronger results compared to Mathematics and Social Studies.
Some 220,806 candidates—57.74%—earned A1–C6, meaning that Science outperformed the traditional “easy” subject of Social Studies.
Yet the number of candidates who could not attain the university cut-off remains significant.
A total of 161,606 candidates recorded grades below the required C6. Within this group 54,580 candidates, representing 11.85%, scored D7, another 45,783 candidates, representing 11.97%, scored E8 and 61,243 candidates, representing 16.05%, scored F9.
These numbers reflect enduring challenges in practical science instruction, laboratory exposure, and conceptual understanding—all factors education experts have repeatedly flagged over the years.
English Language: The strongest core subject, yet a large failure pool
Of all the core subjects, English Language recorded the most impressive performance.
A total of 289,673 candidates, representing a strong 69%, obtained grades A1–C6.
This means English stands alone as the only core subject in which more than two-thirds of candidates achieved the university threshold.
However, despite this relative success, the number of candidates who fell short remains large enough to limit university access.
A total of 131,097 candidates secured grades below C6.
These included 37,712 candidates with D7, representing 8.18%, additional 39,091 candidates with E8, representing 9.23%, and 54,294 candidates with F9, representing 12.86%.
English Language is frequently the anchor that keeps many students competitive for tertiary education, but even here, a significant proportion were left behind.
What the numbers mean for university access
Across the four core subjects, the results point to one inescapable conclusion: A very large share of the 2025 cohort will not be eligible for university admission, even before elective subjects are considered.
Mathematics alone eliminated nearly half the candidates from contention.
The unexpected collapse in Social Studies performance further tightened the bottleneck.
Education policy experts say these trends have implications far beyond admissions, raising questions about the long-term quality of basic education, teacher training, curriculum delivery and classroom resources.
Cancellations, withheld results and prosecutions
Beyond performance issues, this year’s examination cycle was also marred by widespread irregularities.
WAEC confirmed that it had cancelled the entire results of 653 candidates for possessing mobile phones inside examination halls—an action that reflects stricter enforcement of examination security protocols.
In addition, 6,295 candidates had their subject results cancelled after being caught with foreign material, including prepared notes, textbooks and printed answer sheets.
The Council has also withheld the subject results of 908 candidates and the entire results of 158 candidates pending further investigations.
Furthermore, subject results from candidates in 185 schools have been withheld due to suspected collusion, with investigations still underway.
The Ghana Examinations Committee, meeting on November 17, also approved these disciplinary measures.
WAEC disclosed that 35 individuals—including 19 teachers—were implicated in acts that compromised the integrity of the exam. Nineteen have already been arraigned and convicted, while the remaining 16 are expected to be processed for court soon. Teachers found culpable will face further disciplinary action by the Ghana Education Service.
Total candidature and participation
WAEC reported that 461,736 candidates registered for the 2025 examination, comprising 207,415 males and 254,321 females. This represents a marginal 0.24% increase over last year’s entry figure.
However, 5,821 candidates, representing 1.26%, were absent, leaving 455,915 candidates who actually sat for the exams.
WAEC warns against fraudsters
As candidates rush to check their results online, WAEC has cautioned students and parents to beware of fraudsters promising to alter grades for a fee.
The Council reiterated that its results are secure, tamper-proof and verifiable through its official verification system.
A year of harsh realities
The release of the 2025 WASSCE results highlights a year of hard lessons for Ghana’s education system.
The sheer scale of failure in core mathematics and the unexpected slump in Social Studies suggest systemic issues that demand urgent attention.
As tertiary institutions begin their limited admission processes, thousands of families will face the stark reality that their wards have been locked out—not because they lacked ambition, but because the learning ecosystem failed to equip them adequately. For policymakers, educators and parents alike, the numbers are not just statistics; they are a national call to action.
