By The Federal Government has ordered the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to fully transition to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for all exams by May/June 2026.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the directive on Monday during a tour of CBT centres in Bwari and a real-time inspection of JAMB’s digital control room, stressing that both objective and essay components must be conducted electronically to curb examination malpractice.
Alausa said the decision mirrors JAMB’s success in managing over 2.2 million CBT candidates efficiently and called for WAEC and NECO to align with this new standard. He emphasized that a committee, led by JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, is auditing Nigeria’s examination processes, with results expected by next month to guide future educational reforms.
The minister commended the ongoing 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), describing it as a “world-class exercise” that reflects transparency, efficiency, and international best practices in examination conduct.
Meanwhile, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Oloyede, described this year’s UTME as one of the Board’s best, dismissing complaints about early arrival times and centre placements, and reaffirming that strict verification procedures are necessary for smooth exam operations.
Oloyede also revealed that over 40 candidates have been arrested for impersonation and malpractice during the ongoing UTME, and stressed that results would only be released after thorough verification, with about 1.6 million candidates having completed their exams by Sunday.
