No Going Back! FG Confirms CBT is Here to Stay for WAEC & NECO Exams

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NEC) will switch to computer-based testing (CBT) by 2026, according to a federal government announcement.

This was revealed by Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, in a guest appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday.

This revelation comes in the wake of mounting doubts regarding the validity of public exams, especially in light of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results, which showed that more than 1.5 million of the 1.95 million applicants received scores below 200 out of 400.

The minister responded to the low UTME scores and their implications for senior secondary school learning outcomes by calling the issue a serious worry and highlighting the fact that it shows that exams are being administered correctly.

A computer-based testing system is used by JAMB to administer its exams. Because of the robust security measures they have put in place, fraud and cheating have all but disappeared. He stated, “Unfortunately, we cannot say the same for WAEC and NECO.”

Alausa revealed that soon after taking power, the government had started a thorough evaluation of the country’s examination procedures.

“We performed a diagnostic review of the way exams are administered across the country. I formed a committee to look into this, and I should get their findings in the next few days,” he continued.

He reaffirmed that WAEC and NECO would start moving their exams to CBT in November 2025, starting with objective exams, and finish the transition by May or June 2026, including essay components.

“To combat this scam, we must deploy technology. It is just not acceptable that there are so many “miracle centers.” Before taking the JAMB, when cheating is practically impossible, some cheat on the WAEC and NECO exams. That’s the difference we’re currently witnessing. Alausa remarked, “It’s sad.”