The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced a new initiative allowing students to retake their West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) as early as January and February 2025.
This significant change departs from the previous requirement for candidates to wait for the next private exam session.
The Head of Public Affairs at WAEC, John Kapi, revealed this development in a recent statement, highlighting that the new program, termed WASSCE PC1, offers students a faster opportunity to improve their grades. “Students who access their results now and realize they need to re-sit one or two papers have until January 8 to register online through our website or at WAEC-accredited internet cafés. The exams will take place from January 24 to February 15, 2025,” Kapi stated.
To support candidates in their preparation, WAEC plans to expedite the release of chief examiners’ reports, which will provide detailed feedback on students’ performance and guidance on improving their study approaches. “We’ve advertised this program widely through banners, our website, and our results checker platform to ensure that both students and parents are aware,” Kapi added.
Kapi also noted that students whose results were canceled can participate in the WASSCE PC1 exams, provided they have not been banned for malpractice in recent years. The exams will be conducted in regional capitals due to the anticipated limited number of candidates. Prospective participants are encouraged to complete their registration by January 8 to take advantage of this opportunity.
WAEC is optimistic that this initiative will enable candidates to swiftly enhance their grades and qualify for the upcoming admission cycle, thereby avoiding a year-long academic setback.
Felix Oluwaseun Agbesanwa, Chairman of the Ogun State chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, praised the initiative as a positive step forward. “WAEC introduced a new policy that will allow students who failed their examinations to have a chance to re-sit the failed papers, but this opportunity is for those who have not been banned and whose papers were not implicated in cheating during past examinations,” he explained.
READ ALSO: Baba Obasanjo and the NNPCL refineries
READ ALSO: Tinubu’s aide unveils constituency office, empowers local youths
Agbesanwa suggested extending the registration deadline to the end of January, allowing students more time to focus on the specific papers they need to retake. “Many students thought they could only pass by registering for all papers. Now, they can concentrate on the papers they failed and improve their chances of success,” he noted.
He also emphasized that students can use the results from this resit to apply for higher education institutions, as WAEC aims to release the results promptly. Additionally, he expressed hope that this initiative would help reduce examination malpractices, although he cautioned against students becoming complacent. “While the cost of registration for the resit may be lower than that of the full examination, students should not view this as an excuse to be less serious about their academics,” Agbesanwa warned.
Overall, stakeholders are hopeful that WAEC will uphold the integrity of this initiative, ensuring it meets its intended goals and benefits the students who need it most.