Concern Grows As WAEC Candidates Forced To Write Exams After Dark

The examination is being conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

The situation has raised concerns among parents, school administrators, and education stakeholders, particularly as similar disruptions were recorded last year when some candidates reportedly finished their exams around midnight.

According to Vanguard, checks at various centres in Lagos—especially on Lagos Island and within the Lekki axis—showed that the delays became more noticeable this week.

On Monday, Physics Paper 1 and Paper 2, originally scheduled for 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., reportedly did not commence as planned.

Some candidates were said to have eventually written the second paper around 8 p.m.

On Wednesday, candidates sitting for General Mathematics also faced significant delays.

The essay paper, scheduled for 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, and the objective paper set for 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., were reportedly not concluded until around 10 p.m.

‘Delays Affect Candidates Psychologically’

A school principal who spoke anonymously to Vanguard expressed frustration over the recurring issue.

“Why is this happening again after what we experienced last year? Beyond security concerns, these delays have serious psychological effects on candidates. Imagine preparing for an exam scheduled for noon and only writing it at 7 p.m. or later,” the principal said.

He added that stakeholders had expected WAEC to have resolved the issue following last year’s disruptions.

A parent in Lekki also lamented the impact on students, saying the situation was becoming worrying.

“My child got home around 10 p.m. on Wednesday. We thought lessons would have been learned from last year, but the same issues are happening again,” the parent said.

WAEC Responds to Concerns

A WAEC official, who was not authorised to speak publicly, confirmed awareness of the challenges affecting the examinations.

“Yes, we are aware of some hitches due to unforeseen circumstances. However, we are working to resolve them, and hopefully, things will normalise soon,” the official said.

As of the time of filing this report, WAEC is yet to issue an official public statement addressing the delays.