The Federal Government of Nigeria has issued a directive for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to fully adopt Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for all their exams by 2026, okay.ng reports.
Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa made this announcement during an inspection of ongoing exams in Bwari, accompanied by JAMB officials.
More than two million candidates are currently registered for exams across 800 centers nationwide. Dr. Alausa revealed that WAEC and NECO would begin administering objective-type papers via CBT starting this November, with the complete switch-including essay papers-expected by May or June 2026.
He emphasized, “If JAMB can successfully conduct CBT exams for more than 2.2 million candidates, WAEC and NECO can do the same.” The minister highlighted that this move aims to eradicate examination malpractice.
A committee tasked with reviewing examination standards nationwide is expected to present its recommendations next month.
JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede clarified that the UTME exams have always commenced at 8 a.m., with candidates arriving by 6:30 a.m. for accreditation. He refuted claims about candidates being assigned to unselected centers and confirmed that over 1.6 million candidates have completed their exams, with roughly 50,000 remaining. He also reported over 40 arrests for exam malpractice, including impersonation and smuggling exam questions, and noted that more than 41,000 candidates were underage.
