The Federal Government has announced plans to fully transition school-based Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) centres by 2026, with private and public CBT centres to be used nationwide.
Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, made this known on Tuesday in Abuja while monitoring a pilot CBT SSCE organised by the National Examinations Council (NECO) at Sascon International School, Maitama.
Dr Alausa commended NECO’s smooth implementation of the pilot, describing it as a “demonstration of capacity” and a critical step towards curbing examination malpractice. “By November of this year, both NECO and WAEC objective exams will be full CBT. And by next year, 2026, all the essays and objective exams will be CBT. NECO and WAEC will be joining the league of JAMB. We are making significant progress,” he stated.
He stressed that thousands of existing CBT centres across Nigeria would be repurposed for the exams, creating a new economic value chain while ensuring standardisation.
NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, affirmed the council’s readiness for the transition despite challenges in infrastructure, particularly in remote areas. He said over 1.3 million candidates registered for this year’s SSCE, the highest in NECO’s history with Kano state registering the highest number of candidates with more than 137,000
Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary)Senator Ekong Samson, , and House Committee Chair on Basic Examination Bodies, Hon. Oboku Oforji, expressed legislative support for the initiative and pledged continued oversight to ensure a smooth rollout.
