The Federal Government has announced plans to transition all school-based Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE), including those conducted by WAEC and NECO, to a Computer-Based Test (CBT) format by 2026.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made this known on Tuesday in Abuja while monitoring a pilot CBT examination conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO) at Sascon International School, Maitama.
According to the minister, the move is aimed at modernizing the examination process and aligning it with global best practices.
He noted that, like JAMB, all SSCEs will now be administered at approved CBT centres across the country, rather than in schools.
“We are moving WAEC and NECO exams away from the traditional school-based setting to designated CBT centres,” Alausa said. “We have thousands of such centres nationwide, and it’s time to expand their role beyond JAMB.”
Alausa praised the private investments in CBT centres and emphasized the need to leverage them to reduce malpractice and enhance credibility in national examinations. “These centres are creating jobs and promoting locally developed technology solutions.
This is part of the economic transformation President Tinubu is promoting,” he added.
He also commended NECO for successfully piloting the CBT format, describing it as proof of the council’s capacity and readiness to embrace full digital transition. “This is a historic first for NECO, and the registrar and his team have done an impressive job,” he said.
The minister revealed that beginning November 2025, all objective papers for both WAEC and NECO will be conducted via CBT. By 2026, both objective and essay components will fully adopt the CBT model.
NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi, expressed the council’s readiness to implement the new format, although he acknowledged infrastructural challenges, particularly in remote areas.
“We are fully prepared as a professional body to adopt the CBT method, though we need more infrastructure, especially in difficult terrains,” Wushishi said.
He appealed to state governments to invest in CBT infrastructure to support the transition.
The NECO boss disclosed that 1,367,210 candidates registered for the 2025 SSCE—the highest number in the council’s history. Of these, 685,551 are male and over 681,300 female. Kano State recorded the highest number of candidates, while Kebbi State had the lowest.
The Nigerian International School in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, had the fewest with just eight candidates.
Lawmakers also lent their support during the exercise. Senator Ekong Samson, Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, pledged the National Assembly’s commitment to ensuring a smooth transition to CBT nationwide.
Similarly, Hon. Oboku Oforji, Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, lauded NECO’s efforts during a visit to the Federal Government Boys College, Apo, Abuja.
He reaffirmed the House’s commitment to supporting examination reforms through its oversight role.