WAEC Cautions Against Social Media Language in 2025 WASSCE answers
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has raised serious concerns after chief examiners observed widespread use of social-media diction and non-standard English among candidates in the 2025 WASSCE school-candidates exam. The council warned that such informal language significantly contributed to poor performance across multiple subjects, including English Language, Social Studies, Integrated Science and Mathematics.
According to WAEC’s Director of Public Affairs, many students appeared to rely on slang and shorthand common on social media when answering examination questions — a practice that examiners said undermined clarity, coherence and academic precision. Examples included abbreviated expressions and anglicised slang instead of proper English vocabulary and grammar.
The poor use of language extended beyond English papers. In Social Studies, many candidates failed to articulate arguments coherently or analyse socioeconomic issues properly because of substandard command of language. Science and mathematics papers suffered similar criticism, with mistakes in scientific terms, diagram annotations, formulae and basic calculations being attributed to weak writing and conceptual exposition.
WAEC argued that the decline in academic language standards among students reflects deeper challenges in the education system, including inadequate emphasis on formal English instruction and a rising influence of informal digital communication in students’ everyday lives. The council called on teachers and school administrators to intensify efforts at reinforcing proper English usage before future exams.
Several education stakeholders have weighed in. Some say the poor performance this year should prompt a nationwide review of teaching methods, highlighting that strong language foundation is critical not just for English exams but for overall academic success. Others propose increased remedial classes, reading clubs, and stricter enforcement of language standards in classrooms.
For many students and parents, WAEC’s warnings come as a wake-up call. Candidates who used familiar but informal language during exam submission may now face failure due to careless writing. The broader implication is that educational reforms are urgently needed to counteract the growing trend of social-media language creeping into academic contexts.
