UNIMAK Grants Provisional Admission to 2026 WASSCE Candidates Without English Pass
Aminata Koroma The University of Makeni (UNIMAK) has announced provisional admission for candidates who obtained credit passes in four or more subjects in the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) but failed to secure a pass in English Language.
The decision was reached by the University’s Senate during an emergency meeting held on Thursday, 29th October 2026, following concerns over the large number of applicants who did not obtain a pass in English Language.
According to a communiqué issued by the Office of the Registrar on Saturday, 31st October 2026, the decision was taken to widen access to higher education while maintaining the University’s academic standards. The Senate emphasised that the resolution applies exclusively to the 2026 WASSCE candidates and will not serve as a precedent for subsequent admission years.
Under the arrangement, affected candidates with credit passes in at least four subjects will be granted provisional admission into degree programmes across all departments, except Law and Nursing. The University said a separate statement regarding admission into the two excluded programmes would be released in due course.
However, students admitted under this arrangement will be required to obtain and submit a pass in English Language on or before 31st October 2028. Failure to meet this requirement within the stipulated period will affect the confirmation of their admission.
As part of the conditions, all provisionally admitted students must register for and attend the University’s remedial English Language classes. The Senate has appointed Mr Andrew Sesay to head the remedial programme, with support from Sr. Emily Munasia and Sr. Beatrice Ortserga. Their team will be responsible for organising the programme and helping students attain the required standard to pass the examination.
The University also resolved to approach the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to reactivate the UNIMAK Examination Centre, if possible, to enable the affected students to resit their English Language examination on campus.
Additionally, the Senate directed the Postgraduate School Board to review applications from candidates holding Division 3 results on a case-by-case basis during its meeting scheduled for Tuesday, 3rd November 2026. The Board is expected to recommend suitable candidates for admission to the Registrar based on their competency.
The Senate reaffirmed the University’s commitment to providing fair access to higher education while upholding academic excellence. It urged all provisionally admitted students to take full advantage of the remedial programme and meet the English Language requirement before the stipulated deadline.
