The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has confirmed growing national concerns following the release of the provisional WASSCE 2025 results, which show an unprecedented rise in outright failures (F9) across all four core subjects when compared with the 2024 results.
The data paints a bleak picture of student performance, signaling what analysts describe as a major educational setback.
According to WAEC’s official breakdown, the failure rate in Core Mathematics has nearly quadrupled, soaring from 6.10% in 2024 to 26.77% in 2025. This spike marks one of the most severe declines in the subject’s recent history.
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Similarly, Social Studies recorded a dramatic downturn, with the percentage of candidates receiving an F9 jumping from 9.55% to 27.50%, almost tripling within a year.
Education experts warn that the steep rise in failure rates points to deep-rooted challenges in teaching quality, student preparedness, and curriculum delivery.
The total of 461,736 candidates who sat for the exam witnessed the worst performance trends in years.
| Core Subject | 2024 F9 Percentage | 2025 F9 Percentage |
| Mathematics (Core) | 6.10% | 26.77% |
| Social Studies | 9.55% | 27.50% |
| Integrated Science | 7.12% | 16.05% |
| English Language | 5.88% | 12.86% |
Integrity Crisis: Thousands Penalised for Malpractice
Integrated Science and English Language, though faring better than Maths and Social Studies, also recorded more than double their previous year’s failure rates.
The release of the results on November 29, 2025, also highlighted an overwhelming number of examination malpractice cases – prompting what WAEC describes as one of its strictest enforcement years.
The Ghana Examinations Committee approved sweeping sanctions against candidates, teachers, and school officials implicated in various forms of misconduct.
Subject Results Cancelled: 6,295 candidates had one or more subject results voided for carrying unauthorized materials such as notes, textbooks, and printed documents into the exam hall.
Complete Results Cancelled: 653 candidates lost their entire results after they were caught with mobile phones during the examination.
Results Withheld Pending Investigations: Subject results of 908 candidates
Entire results of 158 candidates: Investigations are ongoing for suspected offences including impersonation and cheating syndicates.
School Collusion Crackdown: Results of candidates from 185 schools have been withheld over alleged coordinated cheating.
In addition, 35 individuals, including 19 teachers, have been cited for compromising the integrity of the examination. WAEC confirmed that 19 of these individuals have already been prosecuted and convicted, receiving fines or custodial sentences.
The sharp deterioration in foundational subjects has intensified calls for urgent reforms within Ghana’s pre-tertiary education system. Stakeholders are urging the Ministry of Education to investigate the root causes, from syllabus overload to teacher capacity gaps and inadequate student preparation.