The Federal Government has announced plans to fully migrate all school-based examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) by 2026.
This was disclosed during a strategic meeting involving key stakeholders in the education sector, where it was revealed that both private and government-owned CBT centres across the country would be mobilised to support the new digital examination process.
According to the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, the initiative is part of the broader digital transformation agenda aimed at enhancing transparency, speed, and credibility in Nigeria’s examination system.
He said: “By 2026, all SSCE examinations under WAEC and NECO will no longer be written using pen and paper.
We are embracing technology and aligning our education system with global standards. Computer-Based Testing is the future, and Nigeria must not be left behind.”
The transition will begin with pilot CBT implementations for selected subjects in urban centres by 2025, with full-scale rollout anticipated by the following year.
The government also assured that infrastructural gaps in rural areas would be addressed to ensure equitable access.
Reacting to the development, education experts and school owners have expressed cautious optimism, urging the government to ensure adequate training for students and teachers, especially in underserved regions, to avoid digital exclusion.
This shift comes after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) successfully transitioned to CBT over the past decade — a move that significantly reduced exam malpractice and improved result processing time.
With this bold move, the government hopes to modernize the conduct of secondary school examinations and prepare students for a more technologically driven academic future.
