By Davida Spaine Solomon
Freetown, 19th February 2026- The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education has released new figures on the registration process for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), showing that while the majority of candidates have been cleared, more than 55,000 entries remain flagged for discrepancies as the registration deadline approaches.
According to Minister Conrad Sackey, a total of 163,997 candidates have been successfully verified and submitted to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for upload onto its Batch Registration System (BRS). However, 55,174 candidates were identified as “unmatched” due to duplication of records and incomplete data.
The Minister stressed that the WAEC portal will remain open only until February 28, 2026, urging school authorities to urgently review and correct all discrepancies before the deadline. He emphasized that there will be no extension.
To strengthen accountability, schools will be required to sign a Parliamentary-approved undertaking, taking full responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the data they submit.
Minister Sackey assured parents and students that government will still cover examination fees for all unmatched candidates, but only after their records are properly verified and cleared. “No child should suffer because of administrative errors,” he said, while also stressing that public funds must be used responsibly and transparently.
With the deadline fast approaching, the figures highlight both the scale of progress and the urgency of action. The Ministry’s message is clear: correct the records, meet the deadline, and ensure that no candidate is left behind.
