The Federal Government has reiterated its resolve to combat examination malpractice through full digitization, announcing a definitive timeline for the transition of WAEC and NECO exams to Computer-Based Testing (CBT).
Minister of Education, Dr. Yusuf Tunji Alausa, made the declaration during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday. Alausa confirmed that by 2026, all public examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) will be fully administered via CBT — beginning with multiple-choice sections in November 2025, and expanding to include essay questions by mid-2026.
The minister’s remarks come in the wake of concerning figures from the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), where more than 1.5 million out of 1.95 million candidates scored below 200 — fueling alarm over the state of learning at secondary level.
Alausa attributed the discrepancy between JAMB’s UTME and WAEC/NECO results to the lack of technological safeguards in the latter exams. “JAMB has near-zero malpractice because they use CBT with strict security. But WAEC and NECO remain vulnerable,” he said.
According to the minister, a diagnostic review was launched upon his appointment to evaluate national examination practices, and the findings have further cemented the government’s decision to embrace digital testing.
“We must use technology to fight exam fraud,” Alausa asserted. “So-called ‘miracle centres’ have normalized cheating. It’s unfair to hardworking students, and it undermines our entire educational system.”
He emphasized that malpractice not only erodes academic standards but also corrupts student integrity. “Good students lose motivation when they see peers succeed through cheating. We can’t allow that to continue,” he said.
Responding to concerns about the root causes of poor performance, Alausa acknowledged gaps in both instruction quality and discipline but stressed that mass cheating remains the most critical issue. “We’re reforming teaching standards and rolling out tech-based learning. But unless we eliminate systemic cheating, those reforms won’t achieve their full impact.”
Extensive consultations have already been held with WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, and NBAIS, the minister noted. He confirmed that the transition will begin with private candidates and eventually apply to all general and specialized exams.
“Come November 2025, WAEC and NECO will start CBTs. There’s no turning back,” Alausa declared.
In line with this commitment, WAEC successfully piloted CBT for private candidates in 2023, with over 8,000 students participating in the inaugural edition.
With this digital push, the Ministry of Education aims to restore credibility to Nigeria’s exam system and instill a culture of merit, transparency, and accountability in public education.
