WAEC Confirms 2026 CBT Rollout Is Fully on Track

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has insisted that it is still on schedule to administer the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination to school applicants using a completely computer-based approach.

Additionally, WAEC promised that no applicant will have to travel more than two kilometers to take the test.

Dr. Amos Dangut, the head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, made this announcement on Friday at a news conference in Umuahia, Abia State.

In response to mounting worries about the switch to the Computer-Based WASSCE for the May/June session among parents, schools, and education groups, Dangut gave a speech.

Recall that on November 13, the House of Representatives requested that the Computer-Based Test policy for the 2026 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination be immediately suspended by the Federal Ministry of Education and WAEC.

Additionally, the House instructed the Federal Ministry of Education to work with states to incorporate the hiring of computer instructors, the building of computer halls with internet access, and the provision of backup generators for all secondary schools across the nation into their 2026–2029 budgets.

Prior to the policy’s implementation in 2030, it also urged private schools to have sufficient facilities.

But according to Dangut, the briefing was required to discuss the Council’s readiness to comply with the Federal Government’s order requiring computer-based testing for the 2026 WASSCE.

He brought up the Federal Government’s mandate that, starting in 2026, all public examination bodies switch to digital assessment. He claims that WAEC promptly started a number of actions, such as assessing the preparedness of schools across the country and testing digital examination platforms.

He clarified that WAEC conducted a nationwide evaluation of all secondary schools to ascertain their ICT capability, geographic suitability, and infrastructure for digital exams in accordance with its mandate and test administration requirements.

According to him, the results influenced a new classification system that divided schools into three groups in order to decide how candidates would be allocated centers.

“A framework classifying schools into three main categories was developed as a result of a review of the readiness of all secondary schools across the country, particularly their geographical locations and access to modern ICT facilities, in accordance with the Council’s test administration policies,” he stated.

“Based on this framework, the Council carried out a mapping of the schools and procedures for conducting the CB-WASSCE in accordance with the mapping of the schools, thereby ensuring that the conduct of the CB-WASSCE will not put any candidate at a disadvantage.”

He emphasized that WAEC has finished its mapping plan to ensure convenience, equity, and safety, and that concerns about candidates traveling vast distances were taken into consideration.

As a result, I am here today to reassure the public that the Council has created a strong plan to guarantee that no candidate taking the CB-WASSCE for School Candidates, 2026 would be denied the right to vote.

Additionally, we have a solid plan to guarantee that no candidate will have to travel more than two kilometers in order to take the test. “This is our dedication to equity and access,” he said.

Regarding the contentious curriculum reform, Dangut emphasized that the Federal Government, not WAEC, was still in charge of curriculum development and approval.

According to him, the Council only carries out what is authorized in accordance with administrative and legal frameworks.

The Council would like to make it clear that this initiative is a Federal Government decision regarding the recent revision of the Basic and Secondary School Curricula.

“The Government is solely responsible for the development of curricula and the monitoring of their implementation, and the Council operates strictly within the legal framework of its host country,” he stated.

He described the five fields of Core, Science, Humanities, Business, and Trade Subjects as the new subject structure authorized for the 2026 WASSCE.

Additionally, he revealed a significant reduction in the number of Trade courses—from 26 to six—as well as the renaming of several courses while maintaining their curricular substance.

He stated that one of the new courses, Horticulture and Crop Production, will have its own curriculum and is based on Agricultural Science.

In response to worries regarding subject registration restrictions, Dangut assured parents and schools that WAEC had not imposed any limitations on candidates selecting subjects from other fields.

He stated, “In particular, Science students will not be prohibited from taking Economics as an elective.”

Regarding continuous assessment, he declared that WAEC would provide schools more time to adapt to the new curriculum by extending the deadline for uploading Continuous Assessment Scores.

In order for candidates enrolled in new courses to satisfy the CASS requirement, he recommended schools to administer the minimum of three assessments.

Additionally, he stated, “WAEC will extend the period for Continuous Assessment Scores upload to ensure they meet the CASS requirement.”