MATHS CRISIS: WAEC REVEALS 7 KEY SKILL GAPS BEHIND OVER 50% FAILURE IN 2025 WASSCE
Provisional results show the worst Core Mathematics performance in seven years, with 220,008 out of 461,736 candidates failing, as examiners pinpoint critical weaknesses in interpretation and practical application.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has identified seven critical skill deficiencies responsible for the alarming failure rate in the 2025 Core Mathematics paper, where more than half of the candidates could not secure a passing grade.
Provisional results released by WAEC reveal that 220,008 out of 461,736 candidates failed Core Mathematics in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), marking the subject’s worst performance in seven years and an 18-percentage-point drop in pass rates compared to 2024.
WAEC’s Head of Public Relations, John Kapi, outlined the seven areas where examiners observed significant weaknesses during an interview on John Joy FM on Monday, December 1. According to Mr. Kapi, these topics are within the approved syllabus but students struggled with practical application:
- Representing mathematical information in diagrams.
- Solving global math-related problems.
- Constructing cumulative frequency tables.
- Making deductions from real-life problems.
- Solving simple interest applications.
- Translating word problems into mathematical expressions.
- Interpreting results from cumulative frequency data.
Mr. Kapi emphasized that these gaps indicate where urgent educational intervention is needed. “These are areas that the chief examiners can observe weaknesses in the candidates’ performance. Obviously, these are not topics that are outside the syllabus or the test blueprint,” he explained.
WAEC is expected to provide a detailed analysis and recommendations to help schools, teachers, and policymakers address these foundational challenges ahead of the next examination cycle. The results have sparked concerns about the state of mathematics education and the need for targeted remedial strategies.
Source:NKONKONSA.com
