South West Tops 2026 GCE Advanced Level Results Despite Anglophone Crisis, North West Ranks Third

The South West Region has emerged as the best-performing region in Cameroon at the 2026 GCE Advanced Level, recording a 64.98 per cent pass rate, despite years of disruption to the education system caused by the Anglophone crisis.

The North West, the other English-speaking region affected by the crisis, also secured a place among the country’s top performers, finishing third with a 64.11 per cent pass rate. The results place both regions ahead of several parts of the country where schools have operated under comparatively more stable conditions. The performance is particularly notable given the difficult environment in which students in the North West and South West have been pursuing their education.

Schools facing repeated disruption

The Anglophone crisis has significantly altered the academic calendar in the two regions. In many communities, Mondays have for years been observed as ghost-town days, leaving streets deserted and schools largely inactive at the start of the week. Students have also had to contend with school interruptions, insecurity and delayed resumption of classes. In some cases, schools in the North West and South West resume later than schools in other regions, leaving teachers with less time to cover the curriculum and students with fewer weeks of uninterrupted preparation for national examinations. Despite these challenges, the 2026 GCE Advanced Level results show the two regions continuing to produce strong academic performances.

South West leads the country

The South West registered 14,305 candidates, with 14,093 eventually sitting the examination. Of those who sat, 9,157 passed, while 4,936 failed, giving the region a 64.98 per cent pass rate, the highest recorded among the 10 regions. The South West narrowly edged the West Region, which finished second with 64.27 per cent. The result means the South West led the national regional ranking by 0.71 percentage points over the West and by 0.87 percentage points over the North West.

North West takes third position

The North West recorded the country’s third-highest performance, with a 64.11 per cent pass rate. A total of 9,837 candidates were registered, while 9,705 sat the examination. Of these, 6,222 candidates passed, compared with 3,483 failures. The North West’s position is significant considering the prolonged disruption to education in the region. The two Anglophone regions therefore occupy two of the three top positions in the 2026 GCE Advanced Level regional ranking.

2026 GCE Advanced Level Regional Ranking

The figures show a closely contested race at the top. The four leading regions South West, West, North West and Adamawa  all recorded pass rates of at least 63 per cent. The South West’s first-place finish and the North West’s third-place position stand out against the backdrop of the prolonged education crisis in Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions. For students who have had to navigate ghost-town Mondays, interrupted school calendars and delayed resumption periods, the results offer a strong indication that academic performance has remained a priority despite the difficult circumstances.

The 2026 GCE Advanced Level ranking has consequently placed the South West at the summit and the North West among the country’s three best-performing regions — a notable result for two education systems that have spent years operating under extraordinary pressure.