The Federal Government has directed the West African Examinations Council and the National Examinations Council to adopt full Computer-Based Testing for all their examinations by 2026.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa gave the directive on Monday during a tour of several CBT centres in Bwari on Monday and real-time monitoring of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB’s) digital control room.
Alausa said by May/June 2026, both objective and essay components of WAEC and NECO exams will be fully computer-based.
According to him, the move, which marks a major policy shift in the conduct of public examinations in the country, is borne out of government’s determination to rid the examinations of malpractice.
“We are determined to eliminate examination malpractices by ensuring all exams, including practical and essay papers, migrate to CBT. If JAMB can successfully administer CBT exams for over 2.2 million candidates, then WAEC and NECO can also do it,” the minister said.
He disclosed that a committee led by JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede is currently auditing Nigeria’s examination processes and their findings, which are expected by the end of next month, will guide future reforms across all levels of education.
Alausa expressed deep satisfaction with the conduct of the ongoing 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, describing it as a “world-class exercise” that meets international standards.
He praised JAMB for running an examination system built on integrity, transparency, and efficiency.
“I must tell you, I am extremely impressed. JAMB’s operations meet international benchmarks for examination conduct. This proves we can run credible exams here in Nigeria, reinforcing our commitment to human capital development,” he said.
Earlier, the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, while speaking on the early schedule of the exams, clarified that the board’s UTME exams had always begun at 8:00 a.m.
Oloyede said that candidates were only expected to be on the ground by 6:30 a.m., to enable them to get accredited before the exams.
He dismissed complaints about early arrival times, noting that it was necessary to screen candidates before exams began.
“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.
Oloyede also debunked claims of candidates being posted to centres they did not choose, stating that investigations showed no such cases had happened.
He confirmed that more than 1.6 million out of 2.03 million registered candidates had completed their exams, with about 50,000 remaining.
The registrar further revealed that more than 40 candidates had been arrested for malpractice, including impersonation and attempting to smuggle out exam questions with hidden cameras.
He added that of the registered candidates, more than 41,000 were underage.
