WAEC Releases 2026 WASSCE Timetable, Exams Start April 21
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the full timetable for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates.
According to the timetable shared on its official 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) page on Monday, the examination will begin on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, and end on Friday, June 19, 2026. The council explained that the exams will start with practical planning sessions in some subjects.
It stated that the first papers will include Foods and Nutrition 3 (Practical) Planning Session and Home Management 3 (Practical) Planning Session.
WASSCE is an important exam for secondary school students who want to gain admission into universities and other higher institutions. The exam covers key subjects like English Language and Mathematics, along with many other subjects in science, arts, humanities, and technical fields.
WAEC also said the examination will take place at the same time in all its member countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia.
A few days before releasing the timetable, WAEC had also announced the results of the 2026 first series of its computer-based WASSCE for private candidates. The exam was held across Nigeria from January 28 to February 14, 2026.
The council recorded 10,523 registered candidates for the exam, showing an increase from the 9,438 candidates recorded in 2025. Out of this number, 10,480 candidates sat for the examination in 166 centres across the country.
WAEC explained that marking of scripts and coordination of examiners took place at three centres in Lagos, Enugu, and Kaduna between February 26 and March 13. A total of 608 examiners were involved in the process.
The council also revealed that 43 candidates with special needs took part in the examination. This included 11 visually impaired candidates, four with hearing impairments, and four albinos. WAEC added that proper support was provided to help them write the exam without difficulty.
In terms of gender, 5,106 candidates, representing 48.72 per cent, were male, while 5,374 candidates, representing 51.28 per cent, were female.
WAEC further stated that 8,418 candidates, which is 80.32 per cent, have already received their results. However, 2,062 candidates, or 19.68 per cent, still have some of their results being processed due to issues linked to them.
