The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has withheld 34,525 results from the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in Sierra Leone.

Minister of Basic And Senior Secondary School Education (MBSSE), Conrad Sackey made the revelation while announcing the results on Monday.

After an unprecedented period of delay, the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) was released on Monday amidst a number of concerns by students, parents, and educators alike.

According to Sackey, the results for 28 private schools that are owing WAEC were not on the list sent to the MBSSE. 33,238 were without results as the results have been withheld while another 6,658 had no results as they were absent from all subjects.

The breakdown shows that 551 candidates obtained a credit grade or better in at least five subjects but did not obtain a credit in English Language or Mathematics.

233 candidates obtained a credit grade or better in 5 subjects including English Language but did not obtain a credit grade in Mathematics.

105,924 candidates obtained credit grades or better in at least five subjects, including maths, but did not obtain a credit in English language.

Only 1,088 candidates obtained a credit grade or better in at least 5 subjects including Maths and English Language.

The WASSCE, overseen by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), is taken by third-year Senior High School students and private candidates alike. This examination serves dual purposes: to determine eligibility for tertiary education and to certify secondary education completion.

Earlier in May, 243,202 students sat for the 2023 WASSCE in Sierra Leone, with a breakdown of 115,033 males and 128,170 females.