The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, has credited the marked drop in examination malpractice during the 2025 WASSCE to the far stricter monitoring regime introduced by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

According to Mr Asare, the tightened checks meant that students who might previously have gained inflated grades were unable to do so this year.

The 2025 results reflected both the tougher oversight and the consequences of malpractice. WAEC cancelled the results of 6,295 candidates for carrying unauthorised materials into examination halls, while investigations are ongoing into a further 1,066 cases. Additionally, 908 candidates had results withheld for particular subjects and 158 had their entire results held back.

Performance in Core Mathematics suffered the sharpest decline. Passes in the A1–C6 range fell from 305,132 in 2024 to 209,068 in 2025—a reduction of more than 96,000. With only 48.73 per cent achieving a pass, the majority of candidates fell short of the standard required for higher education entry.

Speaking on Channel One TV on Monday, December 1, Mr Asare explained that WAEC’s enhanced supervision was evident throughout the examination period.

“With the level of vigilance we observed, it was clear that students who might have obtained grades they had not genuinely earned would not be able to do so,” he said.

He noted that Africa Education Watch deployed trained monitors to 150 schools, with many of them being experienced teachers who have long partnered with the organisation.

Findings from Eduwatch’s report, released on October 30, show that 61 per cent of respondents described invigilation as good, very good or excellent.

Mr Asare highlighted further measures introduced this year, including the Education Minister’s announcement that teachers implicated in malpractice could face dismissal—an unusually stringent penalty, given that the GES Code of Conduct typically prescribes suspension as a first step.

He suggested that these policy signals, combined with WAEC’s renewed vigilance, contributed significantly to reducing cheating and strengthening the credibility of the examination.

Strict invigilation behind reduced cheating in 2025 WASSCE, says Eduwatch Boss