One of the worrying issues post-2024 WASSCE result release is a situation where WAEC has withheld the result for one or more papers of a candidate. In some instances, students whose results have been withheld know they were caught engaging in some form of examination malpractice, such as entering the exam hall with mobile phones, portions of textbooks, and prepared notes.
What is the meaning of a withheld WASSCE result?
A withheld WASSCE result is a result that WAEC is holding because WAEC, through its internal investigations and information available, suspects that some form of examination malpractices might have gone on. The result is therefore withheld pending investigation by WAEC. Affected students and schools may be invited by WAEC to answer questions to help the council investigation to confirm or deny what it alleged might have occurred. A student may have a single subject withheld or more than one or all subjects withheld. At the end of the investigation, WAEC may release some or all, or none, of the results based on its conclusions.
Other students may have their results withheld by WAEC when they did not directly or indirectly engage in any examination malpractice during the exam. Such students may have been victims of crimes they are not aware of if their school is identified to have engaged in “mass cheating,” among other things.
What should a student do if his or her result has been withheld but he or she does not find his or her name on the list of invested suspects of examination malpractice?
It is difficult to tell what such students should do because WAEC does not have laid-out processes for such issues. However, such students are advised to visit their schools or contact their schools to lodge a complaint and their parents should take the lead to put the school on its toes.
Again, such students can visit the WAEC investigation centres with their parents to lodge an official complaint against the withheld results. Students should go along with their parents as well as their printed results as evidence.
WAEC has invited all students whose results have been withheld to report to the regional offices on 27th and 28th January to help WAEC complete its investigations. All candidates with withheld WASSCE results should visit the portal >> HERE to check their names and allocated date for the investigation. If you do not find your name but your result has been withheld, do well to be present in the region you call in and seek help. This will be the only way you can be heard by WAEC or forever remain silent and resit the paper.
In a blog post by WAEC, it indicates that the underlisted candidates, who took part in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates, 2024, and had their results withheld due to alleged involvement in examination irregularities, are kindly invited to the WAEC Regional Offices where they wrote the examination on the assigned dates indicated by their names. They are to be accompanied by their parents/guardians.
READ: WAEC releases some withheld 2024 WASSCE results, invites more for questioning
The invitation is to assist the Council to conclude its investigations into the alleged irregularities.
Candidates are hereby informed that their refusal to honour this invitation shall not preclude the council from making a final determination on the cases. Candidates are further informed to come along with their parents/guardians.
Visit the portal >> HERE to check their names and allocated date for the investigation