WAEC, NECO to Fully Adopt Computer-Based Testing by 2026, Says Education Minister
The Federal Government has directed the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to fully adopt Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for all their examinations by 2026.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the directive on Monday while monitoring the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) with Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) officials in Bwari, Abuja.
The reports gathered that over 2 million candidates are sitting for the current exams at more than 800 centres nationwide.
Dr. Alausa said WAEC and NECO would begin administering objective papers via CBT from November 2025, with both essay and objective sections to be fully computer-based by the May/June 2026 exams.
“If JAMB can successfully conduct CBT exams for more than 2.2 million candidates, WAEC and NECO can do the same,” Alausa said. “By May/June 2026, both objective and essay papers will be fully computer-based. This is a key step toward eliminating examination malpractice.”
The minister also revealed that a committee is reviewing national examination standards, with recommendations expected to be submitted next month.
Speaking on the conduct of the UTME, JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede clarified that examinations have always commenced at 8:00 a.m., urging candidates to arrive early for accreditation, which begins at 6:30 a.m.
“We have four sessions daily: 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.,” he explained, dismissing complaints about early arrival times as necessary for smooth operations.
Prof. Oloyede also refuted claims that candidates were posted to centres they did not select, noting that investigations showed no such incidents.
He disclosed that over 1.6 million out of the 2.03 million registered candidates had completed their examinations, with about 50,000 still to take theirs.
The registrar further reported that more than 40 candidates had been arrested for various examination malpractice offences, including impersonation and attempts to smuggle out exam questions using hidden cameras. He added that more than 41,000 of the registered candidates were underage.
