The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has refuted claims that it released a directive restricting senior secondary students to certain subjects for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Acting Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adeshina, dismissed the circulating reports as baseless and advised schools, parents, and candidates to ignore such misinformation.
In recent weeks, social media users had circulated unofficial documents suggesting that WAEC had revised its subject structure for 2026, allegedly restricting students in arts, science, and commercial streams to new compulsory combinations.
Among the claims that gained wide attention was that mathematics would no longer be compulsory for arts students, while subjects such as economics and literature would be restricted to certain tracks. The alleged new policy caused confusion among teachers, parents, and school owners, many of whom feared it could affect ongoing preparations for the 2026 examination.
WAEC, however, clarified that it does not possess the authority to alter or issue directives on secondary school curricula.
The council explained that curriculum development and regulation are the responsibility of the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) and other relevant agencies.
Moyosola Adeshina stated that the council did not issue any directive restricting the choice of subjects for candidates and urged the public to disregard the misinformation being circulated.
She emphasised that WAEC only implements approved curricula by assessing students based on government-sanctioned standards, not by designing or restricting subject offerings.
She further explained that WAEC remains committed to ensuring all candidates are fairly assessed without bias or restriction, adding that the examination body has continued to maintain professionalism and transparency in its operations.
The rumours, which began circulating earlier in October, had sparked anxiety among students and parents, especially concerning the status of mathematics as a compulsory subject. Some of the claims suggested that mathematics might be removed from the list of core subjects for Arts students.
The council reaffirmed that mathematics, English language, and civic education remain compulsory subjects for all candidates sitting for the 2026 WASSCE, regardless of their discipline. It added that no student would be disadvantaged by false or misleading information shared online.
WAEC also reiterated that it operates under established legal and operational frameworks across its five member countries, Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and Liberia and that any educational policy changes must originate from the relevant government authorities.
The statement urged schools, teachers, and students to rely solely on official communications from WAEC and to avoid acting on rumours or unauthorised information circulating on social media. It further assured that any future updates or reforms would be properly communicated through the Federal Ministry of Education and other recognised educational agencies.
The statement concluded with a call to stakeholders to remain calm and focused, as no changes have been made to the current subject registration process for the 2026 WASSCE.
Schools and parents were advised to contact WAEC’s state and zonal offices for verified information regarding examination guidelines and subject combinations.
