WAEC Exam Trouble on May 28, 2025 || What Really Happened and Why?

On Tuesday, May 28, 2025, many Nigerian students who sat for the ongoing WAEC exams had an experience they’ll never forget, but not for good reasons. Reports from different parts of the country revealed a chaotic situation that left many students stranded at school until late at night, some even sleeping in their classrooms without food or water.

What went wrong?

The Issue: Leaked Exam Questions

According to WAEC and several news sources, the day’s exam questions were allegedly leaked. The leak was serious enough that WAEC had to reprint the exam papers. This process, however, caused major delays. Many schools reportedly did not receive the new exam papers until 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. The result? Students who were supposed to write the exam in the morning had to wait all day and even late into the night before starting.

In some locations, exams were still going on by 10:00 p.m, students were forced to use candles and their phone torchlight to write their exams. Some students returned home past midnight. In worse cases, a few had to sleep over in their classrooms with no food, no water, and no proper care.

Arrests and Investigations

WAEC has said that the leak didn’t come from their head office but rather from unethical supervisors and invigilators who took pictures of the papers and shared them with online platforms. As of now, over 50 people including school officials and website operators have been arrested for their roles in the malpractice.

While these steps are commendable, they don’t solve the hardship that students went through on May 28.

The Big Question: Could This Have Been Handled Better?

Looking at how things unfolded, it’s hard not to ask: Why wasn’t the exam postponed?

WAEC is one of the most respected examination bodies in West Africa. So, when a problem like this happens, people expect it to be handled with care and professionalism. Instead of making students wait for hours, some without eating or resting, wouldn’t it have been wiser to reschedule the exam? A simple announcement in the morning could have saved thousands of students from the stress, hunger, and confusion they faced.

Yes, malpractice must be stopped, but at what cost? Students who came prepared, on time, and ready to write their papers were punished for something they didn’t do.

At the heart of every educational system are the students. Their safety, comfort, and mental well-being should come first. What happened on May 28 raises serious concerns. Did the officials consider the health of those young people? Did anyone think about how dangerous it is for teenagers to be outside at midnight or to sleep over at school without adult care?

Education should never be a punishment. Yet that is exactly how many students felt that day.

A Wake-Up Call

We hope WAEC and other exam bodies see this as a wake-up call. Systems must be put in place to prevent question leaks. But more importantly, there should be emergency plans that protect the students when something goes wrong. Waiting for printed papers until 6 p.m. and writing exams at night is not the solution.

To the students who went through that day, we see you. You were strong. You deserved better, and we hope that the system you’re working so hard to succeed in will do better for you next time.