Revelations have emerged that the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) will primarily rely on CBT centres rather than schools for the conduct of their Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) in digital mode from next year, in line with the Federal Government’s directive.
This revelation came during the virtual May edition of the education dialogue organised by the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN) on Thursday.
At the event, the Head of National Office of WAEC Nigeria, Dr Amos Dangut, the Registrar and Chief Executive of NECO, Prof Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, and the Director of Basic and Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Hajia Binta Abdulkadir, were panelists.
They spoke on the topic, “CBT for SSCE: Is Nigeria ready?” and answered questions from attendees. No fewer than 95 participants, including education editors, reporters, scholars, and other stakeholders, were present.
Speaking separately, WAEC’s HNO, Dangut, and NECO’s Registrar, Wushishi, both expressed the readiness of their respective organisations to commence the CBT mode of examination in 2026 as directed by the Federal Government.
They stated that this shift is the right path for Nigeria in the 21st century, adding that they are not unfamiliar with CBT mode exams, as they have already been using the format for some assessments, albeit on a smaller scale.
While acknowledging infrastructural deficits and low computer literacy that may hinder the smooth operation of the system at the onset—challenges they have also faced under the current pen-and-paper format—they insisted that the transition is necessary.
The WAEC HNO disclosed that some schools are already conducting their ongoing May/June exam in CBT mode.
He pointed out that while challenges may arise with the CBT system, any issues encountered would be resolved more swiftly than under the pen-and-paper format, and the mode would also help reduce examination malpractice.
Dangut, who again apologised for the late-night conduct of English Language Paper 2 on Wednesday in some parts of the country, argued that the recent technology glitch experienced during the conduct of the UTME by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is not enough to discredit the CBT mode of examination entirely.
He maintained that JAMB has successfully conducted CBT examinations for many years without serious glitches until the last edition and has since significantly improved its systems.
He added that there is always room for improvement in any human endeavour and called on Nigerians at all levels to support WAEC and NECO in this transition and the general conduct of their respective examinations.
Addressing the issue of exam centres, given that the majority of schools across the country lack basic ICT infrastructure such as computers and reliable power supply, NECO’s Registrar explained the organisation’s plan to overcome these challenges.
According to him, it has always been part of NECO’s long-term strategy to transition to CBT exams by 2027, but the Federal Government has now accelerated the process.
NECO, like WAEC, conducts no fewer than 76 subjects, many of which have multiple components, in about 26,000 schools nationwide serving as examination venues. Conducting CBT exams would, therefore, require functional ICT laboratories and other necessary gadgets, which most schools currently lack.
He stated: “Conducting smooth CBT exams based solely on school premises would be difficult. Our plan, therefore, is to utilise credible CBT centres owned by private and public institutions, just as JAMB has been doing.”
Prof Wushishi added that schools with the necessary infrastructure to support the smooth conduct of the exam would also serve as centres.
He also pointed out that the organisation would commence CBT mode exams this year with private candidates sitting for the November/December exam.
“We typically have fewer candidates for the November/December exam, whereas the school-based exam has approximately 1.3 to 1.4 million candidates. We need to start from somewhere and continuously innovate to improve the system until we achieve our desired outcome,” he stressed.
In her contribution, the Director of Basic and Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Hajia Binta Abdulkadir, reiterated the need for Nigeria to transition from pen-and-paper mode to CBT examinations.
She emphasised that Nigerians must embrace CBT as it remains the only viable option for the country moving forward.
She urged stakeholders to utilise available resources to facilitate the transition.
Binta noted that WAEC had successfully piloted the CBT mode with private candidates last year and that NECO would follow suit for its equivalent exam this year, stressing that the mode would work effectively “as long as we are all determined.”
Earlier in his welcome remarks, EWAN’s Chairman, Mr Mojeed Alabi, expressed concern over the poor state of Nigeria’s education system, including the challenges faced in conducting external examinations recently.
He stated that Nigeria cannot afford to continue paying lip service to the sector if it truly desires meaningful economic progress.
He appreciated the panelists and other attendees for joining the conversation, saying the aim was to assess the country’s genuine readiness to transition to CBT mode exams next year.
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