WASSCE Shake-Up: Surge in Maths and Social Studies Failures Sparks Concern

Official data released by the Council show a steep national downturn in students’ foundational knowledge compared to the 2024 results, a development education analysts say could have long-term implications for tertiary admissions and workforce readiness.

The statistics paint a worrying picture:• Core Mathematics recorded the sharpest decline. The proportion of candidates receiving Grade F9 nearly quadrupled, jumping from 6.10% in 2024 to an alarming 26.77% in 2025. This means almost one in every four candidates failed the subject outright.• Social Studies saw its failure rate almost triple, rising from 9.55% in 2024 to 27.50% in 2025.• Integrated Science recorded an increase from 7.12% to 16.05%, more than doubling the number of students who scored F9.• English Language failure rates more than doubled, climbing from 5.88% to 12.86%.

In total, 461,736 candidates registered for the examination, but the marked increase in F9 grades across subjects signals what WAEC describes as a “deepening foundational crisis” at the pre-tertiary level.

Beyond performance concerns, the 2025 WASSCE was overshadowed by an unprecedented wave of sanctions imposed on candidates and educators for breaching examination regulations.

Following approval from the Ghana Examinations Committee, WAEC has taken strong disciplinary actions:• Subject Results Cancelled: 6,295 candidates lost their results in specific subjects for bringing unauthorized materials — including notes, printed sheets, and textbooks — into exam halls.• Entire Results Cancelled: 653 candidates had their full results nullified for possessing mobile phones during the examination.• Results Withheld: The subject results of 908 candidates and the entire results of 158 candidates have been withheld pending ongoing investigations.• School Collusion: Results from candidates in 185 schools have been withheld over suspected mass cheating and organized collusion.

WAEC further revealed that 35 individuals, including 19 teachers, were implicated in facilitating exam malpractice. Nineteen of them have already faced prosecution and received fines or custodial sentences.