The government is exploring the possibility of allowing approximately 30,000 senior high school graduates who failed mathematics in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to re-sit the paper.
This move aims to enable these students to qualify for tertiary education, as they performed well in other subjects but were hindered by their mathematics grades.
Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu stated that the ministry is studying available data to determine the number of affected candidates and assessing the cost implications of the proposed re-sit.
“We are trying to look at the cost implications and probably to direct that all those students who are unable to pass in mathematics be boarded on to write this year’s WASSCE maths so that they don’t stay at home longer,” he said in an interview on TV3’s New Day programme on Friday, March 6, 2026.
The 2025 WASSCE results showed that 50.54% of candidates failed Core Mathematics, with only 48.73% obtaining the minimum pass required for tertiary admission.
Mr. Iddrisu emphasized that the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is responsible for conducting examinations, and the ministry will maintain the integrity of the examination system while exploring options to assist affected students.
