The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has denied allegations that its marking scheme for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) favored private schools, according to a report by Graphic Online. The rebuttal, published on Thursday, 6 August 2026, follows a complaint from private school operators who claimed the marking process was biased against them.
Graphic Online reports that WAEC issued a formal response to the bias claim, rejecting the assertion that the marking scheme was structured to disadvantage any group of candidates. The council’s statement did not provide specific details on the nature of the complaint or the evidence behind the accusation, but it firmly dismissed the suggestion of unfair treatment in the grading process.
The dispute arises amid a broader period of exam result releases across the region. Graphic Online’s coverage connects the BECE marking controversy to other WAEC-related news, including the release of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results, which recorded a 61.54% pass rate, as reported by Premium Times Nigeria. Additionally, Punch Nigeria reported that 38.5% of candidates failed five key subjects in that exam cycle, while Channels Television and the BBC published guides for students checking their results online.
These reports indicate that WAEC is managing multiple examination cycles simultaneously, with the BECE marking scheme dispute unfolding alongside public interest in WASSCE outcomes. The council’s denial appears aimed at reassuring stakeholders that its processes remain impartial, even as private schools question the integrity of the grading system.
What to watch next: Whether the private schools that raised the complaint will provide further evidence to support their bias claim, and if WAEC will release additional details on how the BECE marking scheme was applied.
