The Federal Government has instructed the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to transition fully to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for all their examinations by 2026.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced this directive during an inspection of ongoing examinations in Bwari, Abuja, alongside officials from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, over two million candidates are sitting for the current exams at more than 800 centres nationwide.
Alausa explained that WAEC and NECO would begin administering their objective tests through CBT starting November 2025. Full CBT adoption for both objective and essay components is scheduled for May/June 2026.
“If JAMB can conduct CBT exams for over 2.2 million candidates, WAEC and NECO can do the same,” he said. “Moving to CBT will help eliminate examination malpractices.”
He also revealed that a committee is reviewing examination standards across the country, with recommendations expected next month.
Meanwhile, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, clarified that the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has always started at 8:00 a.m., with candidates required to arrive by 6:30 a.m. for accreditation. He dismissed complaints about early reporting times, stressing the need for proper screening before exams begin.
Oloyede also addressed concerns about candidates being assigned to centres they did not choose, stating that investigations found no such incidents.
He confirmed that out of the 2.03 million candidates who registered for the UTME, over 1.6 million had completed their exams, with about 50,000 still sitting for theirs. Over 40 candidates have been arrested for malpractices such as impersonation and attempting to smuggle out exam questions using hidden cameras. Additionally, more than 41,000 registered candidates were identified as underage.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.