The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has attributed the decline in candidates’ performance in English Language in the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to poor reading habits, weak grammar skills and the growing use of informal language on social media.
WAEC Head of Public Affairs, John Kapi, disclosed this while reviewing the 2026 examination results, noting that although overall performance improved compared with 2025, candidates recorded a decline in English Language.
The proportion of candidates who obtained grades A1 to C6 in English Language fell from 73.11 per cent in 2023 to 69.52 per cent in 2024, 69 per cent in 2025 and 62.40 per cent in 2026.
According to Kapi, the Chief Examiner’s report identified weaknesses among candidates in areas including concord, spelling, grammar, comprehension and summary writing.
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He added that some candidates also struggled with questions based on prescribed literary texts.
WAEC further expressed concern over the increasing use of informal or “WhatsApp” language in examination scripts, including the treatment of contracted forms as standard English.
Meanwhile, candidates recorded improved performance in Core Mathematics in 2026, with 60.75 per cent achieving grades between A1 and C6.
Candidates performed well in topics including arithmetic progression, coordinate geometry and business mathematics but struggled with translating word problems into mathematical statements.
