Alfred Farwell Thorpe, a student of Sierra Leone Grammar School, has emerged as the best-performing candidate in Sierra Leone’s 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), according to results announced by the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE).
Thorpe sat eight subjects and obtained six A1 grades, one B3 and one C4, recording an average grade unit of 1.63, which the ministry classified as very good.
His performance placed him ahead of other candidates in the results released to the ministry by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
He was followed by Silawi Ali of Kamboi Lebanese Senior Secondary School in Kenema, who also sat eight subjects and obtained four A1 grades, two B2s and two B3s. Ali recorded an average grade unit of 1.75, also classified as very good.
The ministry said the 2026 WASSCE recorded improvements in several areas, including the overall subject paper pass rate, which rose to 81.4 per cent from 74 per cent in 2025.
A total of 141,810 candidates sat at least one subject, while 91,122 candidates obtained at least five credits in a single sitting.
The ministry congratulated candidates who completed the examination honestly and commended the schools and teachers who prepared students for the examinations.
It also reiterated its commitment to strengthening examination monitoring and tackling malpractice to protect the integrity of public examinations in Sierra Leone.