{
  "id": 174089,
  "title": "WAEC withholds 167,486 WASSCE results over malpractice",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/waec-withholds-167-486-wassce-results-over-malpractice",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-05T12:00:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/waec-withholds-167486-wassce-results-over-malpractice/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has withheld the results of 167,486 candidates from the 2026 Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination, which accounts for 8.59 percent of those who took the test. This percentage represents a reduction from the 9.7 percent recorded in the previous year, 2025, according to Dr Amos Dangut, the Head of WAEC Nigeria National Office. The withheld results were due to infractions such as the widespread use of mobile phones in examination halls, despite a ban, and organized cheating in certain schools.",
  "summary": "WAEC has withheld 167,486 WASSCE results from the 2026 computer-based exam due to alleged malpractice, including phone use and organised cheating. Read More: https://punchng.com/waec-withholds-167486-wassce-results-over-malpractice/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Private schools accuse WAEC of ‘unfair marking’, demand independent review of 2026 BECE results",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/private-schools-accuse-waec-of-unfair-marking-demand-independent",
        "published": "2026-08-04T21:18:09.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "How to check 2026 WAEC results online",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/how-to-check-2026-waec-results-online",
        "published": "2026-08-05T10:35:47.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}