CBT For WAEC, NECO Set In Stone — Education Minister Confirms

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its decision to transition the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to full Computer-Based Testing (CBT) by 2026.

Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the announcement during an appearance on Channels TV’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, May 6. The move follows concerns about widespread examination malpractice and the poor performance in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), where over 1.5 million out of 1.95 million candidates scored below 200 out of 400.

Alausa said the results reflect the impact of strict CBT measures by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which have significantly reduced cheating. “Unfortunately, WAEC and NECO have not yet reached that level of integrity,” he stated.

He revealed that the government had conducted a nationwide review of public examination processes and would soon receive a report from the committee he established to assess the system.

According to Alausa, WAEC and NECO will begin the CBT transition with objective sections in November 2025, followed by full CBT integration—including essay questions—by May/June 2026. The move is aimed at curbing malpractice, eliminating so-called “miracle centres,” and restoring fairness.

“Cheating not only undermines merit, it also corrupts honest students,” he said. “When students know others have access to questions, it demotivates them from studying. That’s what we must stop.”

While acknowledging weaknesses in teaching and learning, Alausa emphasized that systemic malpractice remains the key issue. He added that the Ministry of Education is also using technology to support learning and improve educational outcomes across primary and secondary levels.

Extensive consultations have been held with WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, and NBAIS, and all examination bodies are expected to comply. The CBT rollout will begin officially in November 2025.

In 2023, WAEC successfully tested CBT for its private candidates, with over 8,000 students participating in the pilot phase.