By Ndey Sowe
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Banjul Office, has released the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results for school candidates, acknowledging remarkable achievements among top performers while stressing that there remains substantial room for improvement in foundational subjects, particularly English Language and Mathematics.
According to WAEC, this year recorded a significant rise in participation, with 20,247 candidates from 156 senior secondary schools registering for the examination, representing a 12.22% increase from 18,042 candidates in 2024. Of this year’s candidates, 37.56% were male (7,604) and 62.44% female (12,643).
Candidates registered in 40 subjects across a wide spectrum, ranging from English Language, Mathematics, and Civic Education to Science, Arts, Commerce, Technical, and Vocational disciplines.
Out of 18,819 candidates with complete records, 961, representing 5.11%, achieved credit passes in five or more subjects, including both English Language and Mathematics. Within this group, 44.22% were male and 55.78% female.
The data further revealed that:
High achievers: 457 candidates (2.43%) earned credit passes in nine subjects, while 588 candidates (3.12%) did so in eight subjects—showing that some students are excelling across a broad range of disciplines.
Middle range: The largest cluster of students earned credit passes in 3–6 subjects, with 1,799 candidates (9.03%) scoring credits in three subjects and 806 (4.28%) in six subjects.
Early progress: Around 17% and above scored credit passes in at least one subject, demonstrating engagement and potential for further improvement.
“These statistics are based on the majority of candidates, 18,819 (92.94%); 797 incomplete records are still being processed and may influence the final performance data. Additionally, results of 631 candidates flagged for suspected examination malpractice have been withheld pending the outcome of the Council’s adjudication process, underscoring our firm stance against any form of academic dishonesty,” WAEC stated.
While WAEC expressed concern over the persistently low credit pass rates in English Language (19.8%) and Mathematics (7.3%), the Council pointed to exceptional performances in several technical and science-based subjects, where pass rates exceeded 50%. These include:
Auto Mechanics – 69.8%
Chemistry – 52.7%
Health Science – 50.9%
Physics – 70.5%
“These achievements are a testament to the potential and resilience of our students when equipped with the right resources, teaching, and encouragement,” WAEC stated. “While urgent intervention is needed to address the foundational gaps in English and Mathematics, the exceptional performances in technical and scientific subjects must not be overlooked. By harnessing these strengths, we can propel our educational system to produce graduates ready to contribute meaningfully to the nation’s development agenda.”
The Ministry of Education has pledged to prioritize sustained investment and targeted reforms in high-performing subjects to further cultivate excellence, scale up support for technical, scientific, and vocational education, and intensify efforts to improve foundational learning in English and Mathematics.
“These collective actions will help build an education system that not only addresses its weaknesses but also maximizes its strengths, driving The Gambia toward a future where every student thrives, and the country’s economic and social advancement is secured,” the statement concluded.
WAEC also expressed gratitude to school principals, teachers, parents, and all stakeholders for their invaluable support throughout the 2025 examination process.
