The performance of Ghanaian candidates in English Language has suffered a significant setback in the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), with the proportion securing A1 to C6 falling to 62.40 per cent.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) says the decline reflects persistent weaknesses in grammar, comprehension, spelling and summary writing, compounded by poor reading habits among candidates.
WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, John Kapi, said the overall 2026 WASSCE results showed an improvement over the previous year, but English Language was the major exception.
He said the percentage of candidates obtaining A1 to C6 in the subject has continued to fall in recent years, dropping from 73.11 per cent in 2023 to 69.52 per cent in 2024 and 69 per cent in 2025, before reaching 62.40 per cent in 2026.
According to Mr Kapi, the Chief Examiner’s report identified weaknesses in key areas including concord, spelling, grammar, comprehension and summary writing.
He also raised concerns about candidates’ declining engagement with books, saying some students struggled to answer questions based on prescribed literary texts.
The examination body is equally worried about the growing influence of social media language on students’ formal writing.
Mr Kapi said some candidates were increasingly carrying informal expressions and contracted forms commonly used in digital communication into examination scripts, treating them as acceptable standard English.
The trend, he noted, could undermine candidates’ ability to communicate effectively in formal academic settings if not addressed.
The decline in English Language performance contrasts with the improved showing in Core Mathematics, where candidates recorded better results than in 2025.
WAEC said candidates demonstrated strengths in areas including arithmetic progression, coordinate geometry and business mathematics.
However, weaknesses persisted in translating word problems into mathematical statements and other aspects of the subject.
In 2026, 60.75 per cent of candidates obtained A1 to C6 in Core Mathematics, compared with 62.40 per cent in English Language.
WAEC’s assessment has therefore highlighted the need for stronger emphasis on reading, grammar and formal writing skills, alongside efforts to help students distinguish between informal digital communication and the standards required in academic examinations.
The Council’s concerns also reinforce the importance of encouraging students to read widely and engage more deeply with prescribed texts as part of efforts to reverse the downward trend in English Language performance.
