By Huldah Shado
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to fully transitioning the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), and other major examination bodies to Computer-Based Testing (CBT), by 2026.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made this known while monitoring the ongoing WAEC CBT examinations in Abuja.
He expressed optimism about Nigeria’s capacity to modernize its exam system through digital innovation and reduce widespread malpractice.
“We are working very hard to eliminate fraud in our examination system, and WAEC is taking the lead,” Dr. Alausa said.
Highlighting the benefits of the CBT model, the minister stated that the digital format not only simplifies the examination process but also significantly curbs cheating.
“We now have clear evidence that when exams are conducted using technology, the level of fraud is minimized to almost zero,” he noted.
Dr. Alausa also praised WAEC’s internal security measures, noting that the CBT system operates on a secured Local Area Network (LAN), making it “virtually impossible” to hack.
According to the minister, by November 2025, all WAEC multiple-choice exams will be conducted via CBT. He added that essay-based questions and NECO examinations would transition to CBT by 2026.
Addressing concerns about infrastructure and logistics, particularly in rural areas, Dr. Alausa acknowledged existing challenges but assured that solutions are underway.
“Are we going to be ready to provide every needed infrastructure by November? Absolutely not. But as we move into the future, we will be ready. We have to challenge ourselves as a government,” he said.
The ongoing WAEC examinations, which began on April 24, are scheduled to conclude on June 20, 2025. A total of 1,973,253 candidates from 23,554 schools are participating, comprising 979,228 males and 994,025 females.
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