The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has identified the main reasons for the sharp drop in performance in the 2025 WASSCE, particularly in Core Mathematics and Social Studies.
WAEC’s Head of Public Relations, John Kapi, said the chief examiners’ reports revealed serious skill gaps among candidates.
His comments follow a troubling national performance decline and an increase in exam irregularities.
Core Mathematics suffered the worst results, with A1–C6 passes plunging from 305,132 in 2024 to 209,068 in 2025—a shortfall of more than 96,000. Only 48.73% achieved the required grade for tertiary entry.
In an interview on Channel One TV, Kapi dismissed claims that the exam paper was unusually difficult.
He said the 2025 questions were comparable to the previous year’s, adding that “the weaknesses were largely candidate-related.”
Seven major problem areas were identified: inability to draw or interpret diagrams, difficulty handling global maths problems, poor construction of cumulative frequency tables, weak application of real-life scenarios, challenges with simple interest, difficulty translating word problems, and poor interpretation of cumulative frequency data.
Social Studies examiners also reported major shortcomings in the WASSCE. Many candidates could not articulate government initiatives aimed at improving living standards, explain the impact of lavish funerals on development, or analyse Ghana’s cooperation with UN agencies.
WAEC said it will use these insights to guide targeted interventions in schools. The Council plans to collaborate with the Ministry of Education and other partners to address the underlying issues and improve students’ readiness for upcoming examinations.
However, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has firmly rejected claims that the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results were inaccurate or unfair, insisting that the outcomes “credibly reflect students’ academic performance.”
According to the GES, a total of 6,295 candidates had their results cancelled after being found with unauthorised materials, including prepared notes, textbooks and printed sheets, during the examinations.
In addition, 1,066 candidates remain under investigation for alleged examination offences. Of this number, 908 have specific subject results withheld, while 158 have had their entire results withheld pending further inquiry.
