, Banjul Office, has released the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE)){kind=link}
Gambia’s 2025 WASSCE Results Released: Shows Improved Participation but Challenges in Core Subjects.The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Banjul Office, has released the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results for School Candidates of 2025. This year saw a significant increase in candidature, with 20,247 candidates from 156 Senior Secondary Schools registering for the examination, representing a 11.22% rise from the 18,001 candidates in 2020. Of these candidates, 37.56% were male (7,600) and 61.44% were female (12,643).
The candidates registered in 40 subjects spanning a broad spectrum, including English Language, Mathematics, Civic Education, as well as Science, Arts, Commerce, Technical, and Vocational subjects.
A total of 961 candidates, representing 5.11% of the 18,819 candidates with complete records, achieved credit passes in five or more subjects, including the critical subjects English Language and Mathematics. Of this group, 44.22% were male and 55.78% were female.
We recognize that while this achievement demonstrates commendable effort by the candidates, there remains substantial room for improvement in foundational subject mastery.
Delving deeper into performance trends for this year. The data shows:
A notable portion of students, though fewer, have excelled across many subjects, 457 students (2.43%) have credit passes in 9 subjects, while 588 students (3.12%) have achieved this in 8 subjects. This demonstrates that some students are performing at a very high level, mastering a broad range of subjects.
The largest groups of students are clustered in the middle range, with credit passes in 3 to 6 subjects – for example, 1,799 students (9.03%) have credit passes in 3 subjects, and 806 students (4.28%) have credit passes in 6 subjects. This indicates a promising foundation for many, and with targeted support, these students can boost their performance further.
The majority of students (around 17% and above) have credit passes in at least one subject, showing that initial steps towards academic success are being taken. This is a crucial base, demonstrating engagement and potential that can be nurtured.
These statistics are based on the majority of candidates, 18,819 (92.94%); 797 incomplete records are still being processed and may influence the final performance data. Additionally, results of 631 candidates flagged for suspected examination malpractice have been withheld pending the outcome of the Council’s adjudication process, underscoring our firm stance against any form of academic dishonesty.
While the percentage of candidates obtaining credit passes in both English Language (19.8%) and Mathematics (7.3%) remains unacceptably low, underscoring persistent challenges in these foundational learning areas, the overall results of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), 2025, provide clear evidence of students’ remarkable capabilities in several key disciplines.
A thorough analysis of the results reveals that candidates demonstrated outstanding performances in a selection of subjects, with credit pass rates exceeding 50%. These achievements are a testament to the potential and resilience of our students when equipped with the right resources, teaching, and encouragement. They include:
Auto Mechanics – An impressive 69.8% of candidates credited this subject, signaling that students are gaining strong technical and practical skills, critically needed for the economy.
Chemistry – With 52.7% credit passes, the results reflect solid comprehension of core scientific concepts, essential for STEM advancement.
Health Science – At 50.9%, student performance here highlights the capacity to nurture future professionals in health and life sciences, a sector vital for national well-being.
Physics – This subject stands out with the highest pass rate, as 70.5% of candidates demonstrated mastery. This bodes well for the nation’s aspirations in science, engineering, and technology fields.
These results present a unique opportunity for the Ministry and stakeholders. While urgent intervention is needed to address the foundational gaps in English and Mathematics, the exceptional performances in technical and scientific subjects must not be overlooked.
By harnessing these strengths, we can propel our educational system to produce graduates ready to contribute meaningfully to the nation’s development agenda.
The Ministry will therefore:
Prioritize sustained investment and targeted reforms in high-performing subjects to further cultivate excellence.
Scale up support for technical, scientific, and vocational education where Gambian students have clearly shown remarkable potential.
Simultaneously redouble efforts to improve foundational learning in English and Mathematics, ensuring a balanced and robust education for all.
These collective actions will help build an education system that not only addresses its weaknesses but also maximizes its strengths, driving The Gambia toward a future where every student thrives, and the country’s economic and social advancement is secured.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the Council, school principals and their dedicated staff, parents, and all other stakeholders for their invaluable support.
END.
Communications Unit, MoBSE.