FG Directs WAEC, NECO To Fully Switch To Computer-Based Exams By 2026

The Federal Government has mandated that the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) fully adopt Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for their examinations starting from 2026.

Naijaonpoint reports that this announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during a monitoring exercise alongside officials from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Bwari on Monday.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), over two million candidates registered to take part in the ongoing examinations at more than 800 centres nationwide.

Dr. Alausa explained that WAEC and NECO would commence the administration of objective papers using CBT beginning this November.

He further stated that by May or June 2026, both objective and essay sections would be conducted entirely via CBT.

The Minister emphasised, “If JAMB can successfully conduct CBT exams for more than 2.2 million candidates, WAEC and NECO can do the same.”

He added, “We are going to get WAEC and NECO to also start their objective exam on CBT. By 2026 exams which will come up in May/June, both the objectives and the essay will be fully on CBT. That is how we can eliminate exam malpractices.”

The minister also mentioned that a committee is currently reviewing national examination standards, and their recommendations are expected to be submitted next month.

Meanwhile, speaking during the monitoring exercise, the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, addressed concerns about the timing of the exams. He clarified that JAMB’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has always commenced at 8:00 a.m., and candidates are only required to arrive earlier for accreditation.

Oloyede said, “We have always started our exams at 8 o’clock. The first session is 8 o’clock, the second session is 10:30, the third session is 1 p.m., and the fourth session is 3:30 p.m.”

He also dismissed complaints about the early arrival requirement, explaining that it ensures all candidates are properly screened before the exams begin.

In addition, Oloyede debunked reports suggesting that candidates were assigned to centres they did not select, confirming that thorough investigations revealed no such incidents.

The registrar provided updates on the ongoing UTME, stating that more than 1.6 million out of the 2.03 million registered candidates had completed their examinations, with only about 50,000 candidates yet to sit.

He also disclosed that over 40 candidates had been apprehended for various exam malpractices, including impersonation and attempts to smuggle out exam questions using hidden cameras.

Furthermore, Oloyede noted that among the registered candidates, more than 41,000 were identified as underage.