The Federal Government has directed the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to fully transition to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for their examinations by 2026.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made this known on Monday while monitoring the ongoing examinations alongside officials of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Bwari, Abuja.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), more than two million candidates are taking part in the current exams at over 800 centres nationwide.
Dr. Alausa explained that starting in November, WAEC and NECO would begin conducting their objective tests using CBT, with full adoption — covering both objective and essay sections — expected for the May/June 2026 examination cycle.
“If JAMB can conduct CBT exams for over 2.2 million candidates successfully, WAEC and NECO can also achieve the same,” he stated.
“By 2026, all components of their exams will be computer-based. This is a critical step towards eliminating exam malpractice.”
He added that a committee is currently reviewing examination practices across Nigeria and is expected to submit its recommendations next month.
Also speaking, the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, clarified concerns about the exam start times, noting that JAMB examinations have always officially begun at 8:00 a.m., not earlier.
Oloyede explained that candidates are asked to arrive by 6:30 a.m. for proper accreditation before the start of their sessions.
“Our exam sessions start at 8:00 a.m., followed by sessions at 10:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.,” he said.
He dismissed complaints about early reporting times, describing them as necessary for smooth examination procedures.
The registrar also denied reports that candidates were assigned to centres they did not choose, saying that investigations showed no evidence supporting such claims.
Oloyede confirmed that more than 1.6 million candidates have already completed their exams, leaving around 50,000 candidates still in progress.
He further revealed that over 40 candidates had been arrested for examination misconduct, including impersonation and using hidden devices to smuggle exam content.
He mentioned that over 41,000 of the registered candidates were under the age of 18.
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