The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has unveiled the preliminary outcomes of the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates - Second Series, indicating a total of 37,825 participants.

Among the candidates were 17,389 males, 20,725 females, and an additional 16 visually impaired candidates.

However, 1,231 registered candidates were reported absent during the examination.

In a statement released in Accra and signed by John Kapi, the Head of Public Affairs at WAEC, it was disclosed that the results of 289 candidates were withheld due to allegations of involvement in various forms of examination malpractice, including collusion, impersonation, and bringing unauthorized materials into the examination hall.

The release of these results is subject to the conclusion of investigations into the reported cases of malpractice.

WAEC cautioned against scammers attempting to deceive candidates with promises of result upgrades for a fee payable through mobile money transfers.

Candidates were reminded of the secure protection of WAEC's results database, and all results can be authenticated.

Institutions and organizations were advised to verify results directly from WAEC through the official website or utilize the online confirmation/verification service.

The Council expressed gratitude to all those who contributed to the successful conduct of the examination, including school heads, supervisors, invigilators, and examiners.