The interim WASSCE 2025 results, which show a concerning increase in the outright failure rate (Grade F9) across all four core disciplines in comparison to the 2024 results, have proven a national education issue, according to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
The number of candidates who failed Core Mathematics outright (Grade F9) has almost quadrupled, from 6.10% in 2024 to an alarming 26.77% in 2025, according to a study of the publicly available data. Similarly, from 9.55% in 2024 to 27.50% in 2025, the failure rate in Social Studies nearly tripled in only one year.
The Great Collapse: F9 Rates Spike Across the Board
Among the 461,736 candidates who registered for the examination, the sharp decline in foundational knowledge is indicated by the sharp rise in F9 grades.
The main subjects that serve as the foundation for admission to higher education showed the steepest growth.
In Core Mathematics, the F9 rate increased from 6.10% in 2024 to 26.77% in 2025, a 20.67 percentage point increase. This indicates that about one in four students who took the test did not pass the subject. From 9.55% in 2024 to 27.50% in 2025, the F9 failing rate in Social Studies experienced a sharp increase. This indicates an increase in the F9 rate of 188%.
Even the core literacy and science subjects saw failure rates more than double:
- Integrated Science: The F9 rate climbed from 7.12% in 2024 to 16.05% in 2025, an increase of 8.93 percentage points.
- English Language: The percentage of candidates receiving an F9 more than doubled, moving from 5.88% in 2024 to 12.86% in 2025.
Integrity Crisis: Thousands Penalised for Malpractice
An aggressive crackdown on exam cheating also tainted WAEC’s November 29, 2025, announcement of the provisional results.
The Ghana Examinations Committee approved severe sanctions against thousands of candidates and dozens of educational personnel.
Key sanctions include:
- Subject Results Cancelled: 6,295 candidates had their subject results annulled for bringing unauthorized materials like notes, textbooks, and printed material into the examination hall.
- Entire Results Cancelled: The results of 653 candidates were canceled entirely for the possession of mobile phones in the examination hall.
- Withheld Results: The subject results of 908 candidates and the entire results of 158 candidates remain withheld pending investigations into various suspected offences.
- School Collusion: Results for candidates from 185 schools were withheld for alleged collusion.
In addition, 35 persons, including 19 teachers, who compromised the integrity of the examination face legal and disciplinary action. Already, 19 of those individuals have been arraigned before court and convicted to fines or prison terms.