WAEC records better candidates’ performance in 2014 November-December exam

Thursday, 18 December 2014 22:26
Written by Eno-Abasi Sunday

• Four blind candidates record credit passes in five subjects
• 28, 817 results withheld
THE results of the November/December 2014 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), which was concluded on October 3, 2014 by the West African Examination Council (WAEC), have shown a marginal increase in the number of candidates, who recorded success when compared with that of 2012 and 2013.
Head of the National Office (HNO), Mr. Charles Eguridu, who made the disclosure Thursday in Lagos while announcing the result was, however, quick to caution against sweeping conclusions regarding the success or failure rate of the private candidate examination.
According to him, because of the very nature of the November/December diet, which allows the candidates the latitude to enter for only the subjects they intend to remedy, using credit passes in subjects like Mathematics and English Language as a yardstick for measuring success in any given edition will be totally misleading and should be discouraged.
Eguridu said members of the public, including the media, should desist from basing success in the private candidates examination on “candidates recording credit passes in English Language and Mathematics. Doing so is unfair to the candidates and to the country because some of these candidates are just out to remedy one or two deficiencies that they have. So, the overall performance should be looked at in terms of the overall result churned out.”
Giving specific details of the November/December 2014 WASSCE, Eguridu said: “A total of 246, 853 candidates (excluding absentees), consisting of 132, 521 male and 114, 332 female candidates sat for the examination. Out of the total number of candidates, 241, 161, representing 97. 69 per cent have their results fully released, while 5, 691 candidates, representing 2. 31 per cent have a few of their subjects still being processed due to some errors mainly traceable to the candidates and cyber cafes in the course of registration or writing the examination. Such errors are being corrected by the Council to enable the affected candidates get their results.”
According to Eguridu, “Of the total number of candidates that sat for the examination, 75, 313 (30. 50 per cent), obtained six credits and above; 110, 346, representing 44. 70 per cent obtained five credits and above. In addition, 145, 036 candidates, representing 58. 75 per cent obtained credits and above in four subjects, while 177, 177, representing 71.77 per cent obtained credits and above in three subjects. A total of 205, 090 candidates (83. 08 per cent) obtained credits and above in two subjects.”
“However, a total of 72, 522 candidates, representing 29. 37per cent obtained credits in five subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
“Furthermore, the results of 28, 817 candidates, representing 11. 67 per cent, are being withheld in connection with various cases of examination malpractice. Such cases are being investigated and the reports of the investigations will be presented to the Nigeria Examination Committee (NEC) of the Council for consideration. The Committee’s decisions will be communicated to the affected candidates in due course,” the WAEC boss stated.
He pointed out that based on this, when compared to the November/December 2012 and 2013 WASSCE (private), there is a marked increase in candidates’ performance.
Eguridu also pointed out that a total of 48 blind candidates registered for and wrote the examination. From this figure, four candidates, representing 8. 33% obtained credits in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
Candidates who sat the November/December 2014 WASSCE (Private) will be able to check the details of their performance on the Council’s results website: www.waecdirect.org within the next 48 hours.