MALPRACTICE: “WAEC, NECO exams will be fully CBT by 2026” – FG

The Federal Government has announced that all school-based examinations conducted by WAEC and NECO will transition fully to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) by 2026.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during a visit to observe a pilot CBT SSCE session conducted by the National Council (NECO) at Sascon International School in Abuja on Tuesday.

Alausa praised NECO’s performance, describing the pilot as seamless and a sign of readiness for full digitisation.

He revealed that moving away from traditional in-school paper-based exams would help tackle exam malpractice and improve the credibility of results.

“WAEC and NECO will soon be like JAMB—conducting exams in certified CBT centres across the country. This isn’t just about exams; it’s about building a modern, tech-driven value chain in our education sector,” Alausa said.

He noted that thousands of existing CBT centres, currently used for JAMB exams, would be repurposed and expanded to serve WAEC and NECO candidates.

The goal is to leverage private and public investments in these centres and boost job creation, technology adoption, and exam integrity.

By November 2025, he added, all objective components of WAEC and NECO exams will be administered via CBT. Full transition, including essay papers, is expected by 2026.

Registrar of NECO, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, expressed the council’s preparedness to adapt to CBT, despite infrastructural challenges in some remote areas.

“We are ready. As professionals, we’re committed to delivering exams via any medium. We call on state governments to support this effort by providing needed infrastructure,” Wushishi said.

He stressed that CBT would reduce malpractice and enhance the global recognition of Nigerian certificates.

According to NECO, 1,367,210 students registered for this year’s SSCE—its highest yet—with Kano State recording the most entries and Kebbi the least.

The Nigerian International School in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, had the lowest number of candidates with just eight.

Senator Ekong Samson, Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, commended NECO and said the Senate would support the reform to align Nigeria’s education system with global best practices.

Hon. Oboku Oforji, Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, who led a monitoring team to Federal Government Boys College, Apo, also praised NECO’s efforts, pledging continued legislative oversight.

“We’re impressed by NECO’s work. This transition is vital, and we’ll support it in every way possible,” he stated.

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