…as female students lead WASSCE 2025 with 53.99 percent credit pass
For five consecutive years, female students have consistently outperformed their male peers in the May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), recording higher credit pass rates include English Language, and Mathematics.
Data from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) shows that female candidates have maintained cumulative credit pass rates, defying stereotypes and the belief that the girl-child is less brilliant to the male peers.
On Monday, August 4, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria, released the results of the 2025 WASSCE, out of 1,969,313 candidates that sat the examination, 754,545 candidates (38.32 percent) achieved credit and above in five subjects including English and Mathematics.
Of the 754,545 students who made this grade, 347,192 (46.01 percent) were male, and 407,353 (53.99 percent) were female.
In 2024, 48.30 percent were male candidates, while 51.70 percent were female candidates.
The female gender continued the dominance in 2023, with 671,006, representing 52.1 percent, while 616,914 candidates representing 47.9 percent were male candidates that obtained five credit pass and beyond including English and Maths.
In 2022, of the number of candidates that obtained credits in a minimum of five subjects including Maths and English, 37.34 percent were male while 39.02 percent were female candidates.
Similarly, in 2021, 48.93 percent of students that obtained a minimum of five credits including English and Mathematics were male candidates, while 51.07 percent were female candidates.
The female students’ dominance in WASSCE or higher performance, in certain subjects or overall, experts believe suggests a shift in academic achievement patterns.
“This could indicate a decline in traditional gender stereotypes about subject preferences and abilities, highlighting the potential for girls to excel in traditionally male-dominated fields,” they say.
Read also: WASSCE: WAEC review shows 63%, not 32%, obtained 5 credits or more in English, Math
Besides, they argue that it raises questions about factors influencing academic success, such as individual effort, teaching quality, and school environment, warranting further investigation into the reasons behind this trend.
Onyebuchi Mary, a teacher attributed the shift in academic excellence to factors such as increased female participation, and potential for shifting gender roles, among others.
“There is obviously a higher number of female students indicating greater interest in secondary education and future academic pursuits.
“This trend might reflect a societal shift where academic achievement is valued for both genders, and girls are actively pursuing opportunities that were traditionally more male-dominated,” she said.
However, Christopher Ibekwe, another teacher emphasised that the dominance might not be consistent across all subjects.
“Male students might still excel in specific areas like sciences or technical fields. Besides, regional differences in access to education and cultural norms could influence these patterns,” he noted.
Moreover, he reiterated that while celebrating the success of female students, it’s important to ensure that male students are also encouraged and supported to reach their full potential, maintaining a balanced approach to gender representation in education.
Serialisation, CBT format, and ‘Special Needs’ inclusion
WAEC attributed the drop in combined English and Maths credit rates to the new security measure of serialisation in core subjects like Mathematics, English Language, Biology, and Economics.
This made cheating harder as candidates received the same questions in different orders.
The council said it also piloted computer-based testing in 2025, giving candidates the option to sit the exam digitally or with pen and paper. Essay questions were projected on screens, but students wrote answers manually.
“I want to allay the fears of Nigerians, the preparations for CBT 2026 are still on. We have done it in 2025, we won’t change our modus operandi. We will do it again next year and improve on our performance this year,” WAEC HNO said.
WAEC also urged schools, parents, and governments to support its digital exam transition and sustain academic integrity.
“Candidates will still try and test the technology before implementation so it can allay their fears,” he noted.
