FG Orders WAEC, NECO To Go Fully Computer-Based by 2026 In Landmark Education Reform!

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 all examinations starting in 2026.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during a monitoring visit alongside officials of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Bwari on Monday.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), more than two million candidates have registered for the ongoing exams across over 800 centres nationwide.

Dr. Alausa revealed that WAEC and NECO would begin administering their objective sections through CBT from November this year. He added that by May/June 2026, both objective and essay components of the exams would be conducted entirely via CBT.

“If JAMB can conduct CBT examinations for over 2.2 million candidates successfully, there’s no reason WAEC and NECO can’t do the same,” Alausa asserted.
He further noted, “We are moving WAEC and NECO’s objective exams to CBT. By May/June 2026, both objectives and essay papers will be fully CBT-based. This approach will significantly curb examination malpractices.”

The Minister also mentioned that a committee reviewing national examination guidelines is set to submit its report next month.

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

“We have always started our exams at 8 a.m. The sessions are scheduled for 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.,” Oloyede explained.

He dismissed criticisms over early arrival requirements, emphasizing that early accreditation ensures a smooth and fair examination process.

Prof. Oloyede also refuted claims that candidates were assigned to centres they didn’t choose, confirming that investigations found no such incidents.

Providing an update on the ongoing UTME, Oloyede stated that over 1.6 million of the 2.03 million registered candidates had completed their exams, with around 50,000 candidates yet to sit for theirs.

Additionally, he revealed that more than 40 candidates had been arrested for exam malpractices such as impersonation and attempting to smuggle out exam questions with concealed devices.

He also pointed out that over 41,000 of the registered candidates were identified as underage.