No Going Back On CBT For WAEC, NECO — Education Minister

The Federal Government has firmly stated its commitment to transitioning the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) by 2026.

On Tuesday, May 6, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, made this announcement during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

His remarks followed concerns over the credibility of public examinations, particularly after the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results showed that over 1.5 million of the 1.95 million candidates scored below 200 out of a possible 400.

Addressing questions about the dismal UTME results and their implications for senior secondary school learning outcomes, Alausa remarked, “That’s a big concern, and it’s a reflection of exams being done the proper way.

“JAMB conducts its exam using a computer-based testing system. They’ve implemented strong security measures, and as a result, fraud or cheating has been nearly eliminated. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same for WAEC and NECO.”

The minister disclosed that, upon taking office, the government conducted an in-depth evaluation of the nation’s examination systems.

“We carried out a diagnostic review of how exams are conducted nationwide. I set up a committee to investigate this, and I expect to receive their report in the coming days,” he stated.

He further revealed that WAEC and NECO would start shifting their examinations to CBT in November 2025, beginning with objective papers, with complete implementation—including essay components—by May/June 2026.

“We have to use technology to fight this fraud. There are so many ‘miracle centres’ and that is simply unacceptable. People cheat during WAEC and NECO exams and then face JAMB, where cheating is nearly impossible. That’s the disparity we’re seeing now. It’s sad,” Alausa noted.

He emphasized that examination malpractice undermines merit and demotivates hardworking students.

“The worst part of cheating is that it disincentivises the hard-working ones. If I’m preparing for WAEC or NECO and I know some classmates already have access to the questions, do you think I’ll still study hard?

“No, I’ll be tempted to join them. That’s how good students are corrupted, and that’s exactly what we must stop,” he elaborated.

When questioned about whether students’ poor performance stemmed more from lax enforcement or an actual decline in learning, Alausa acknowledged both issues but highlighted the systemic problem of rampant malpractice.

“We’re addressing the quality of teaching and using technology, including online classes, to support learning from primary to secondary levels. But the pervasive cheating in our high school exams—especially WAEC and Become—is the core problem,” he explained.

“JAMB is now almost 100 percent fraud-free, but WAEC and NECO still have major lapses. Our youths are intelligent, capable, and energetic. It’s the environment that corrupts them, and we’re determined to fix that.”

The minister affirmed that thorough discussions had already taken place with the leadership of WAEC, NECO, the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), and the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS).

“By November this year, WAEC and NECO will begin CBT exams. There’s no going back on that,” he declared.

In April, the Federal Government issued a formal directive for WAEC and NECO to fully adopt CBT for all examinations by 2026.

The Ministry of Education stipulated that objective sections must transition by November 2025, with complete integration of both objective and essay components by the 2026 examination cycle.

WAEC had previously experimented with a computer-based format for its private candidates in 2023, with over 8,000 candidates taking part in the initial trial.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli