By Allison Abe Sumo
Monrovia – The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Liberia Office has released the results of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), with Mathematics recording the highest pass rate among the major academic subjects.
WAEC Liberia Head Dale Gbotoe said 44,671 of the 54,135 candidates who sat Mathematics passed, representing an 82.5 percent pass rate.
Economics ranked second, with 42,076 of 53,289 candidates passing, giving the subject a 78.96 percent pass rate. Geography followed closely, recording 43,136 passes out of 54,870 candidates, or 78.62 percent.
English Language recorded a 75.62 percent pass rate, with 42,036 of the 55,592 candidates who sat the subject successfully passing.
Chemistry registered a 75.24 percent pass rate, as 37,963 of 50,454 candidates passed, while History recorded 37,940 passes from 51,155 candidates, representing a 74.17 percent pass rate.
Biology recorded a 72.37 percent pass rate, with 37,223 of 52,894 candidates passing. Physics followed with a 71.97 percent pass rate, as 36,374 of 50,523 candidates successfully passed the examination.
However, Literature-in-English recorded the lowest pass rate among the major academic subjects.
Only 16,505 of the 51,606 candidates who sat Literature-in-English passed, resulting in a 31.98 percent pass rate.
The results also showed exceptional performance in several technical and vocational disciplines, with WAEC reporting 100 percent pass rates in subjects including Auto Mechanics, Blocklaying and Concrete Works, Plumbing and Pipefitting, Technical Drawing, and Welding and Fabrication Engineering Craft Practice.
The strong performance in technical and vocational subjects is expected to reinforce calls for greater investment in practical skills training as Liberia seeks to improve employment opportunities for young people.
WAEC is encouraging schools to place greater emphasis on technical and vocational education, saying practical skills can help equip students for employment, entrepreneurship and other opportunities beyond the traditional academic pathway.
The 2026 WASSCE results provide a mixed picture of student performance, with strong pass rates recorded in several core subjects while Literature-in-English posted a significantly lower success rate.
The results are expected to inform ongoing discussions among educators, schools and policymakers about improving learning outcomes and strengthening both academic and technical education across Liberia.
