The Federal Government and the National Assembly have backed the West African Examinations Council’s (WAEC) plan to transition to Computer-Based Testing (CBT), set to commence fully in 2026.
WAEC had earlier announced its intention to phase out paper-based examinations in favour of CBT—a move that initially stirred debate in some quarters.
Speaking at a sensitisation meeting with members of the National Assembly and key stakeholders in Abuja, Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa, described the initiative as a transformative step that will modernise student assessment in Nigeria.
Alausa emphasized that the Federal Government is fully backing the shift to CBT, not only to combat examination malpractice but also to enhance the credibility and global reputation of the nation’s examination system.
“We have committed to migrating public examinations to computer-based technology as a deliberate strategy to secure the integrity of our education system. While there was initial resistance, we recognized that the status quo was no longer acceptable,” Alausa said.
“The move to designated CBT centres will drastically curb malpractice and strengthen the credibility of our examinations, both locally and internationally.”
The Minister further noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is deeply committed to education, often describing it as the most powerful legacy a nation can pass on to its youth.
“Education is the most effective tool for the socioeconomic transformation of our country, particularly given our growing population. This administration is laying a strong and sustainable foundation that includes provisions for children with special needs and ensures long-term inclusivity,” he added.
On his part, WAEC’s Head of National Office, Amos Dangut, revealed that the transition began with private candidates in 2024 and has already shown “significant progress.” He said the rollout will be scaled nationwide.
To support students during the transition, Dangut announced that mock CBT sessions and online practice platforms would be introduced to ensure familiarity with the new system. He stressed that no student would be left behind in the process.
Addressing concerns about infrastructure and cyber-related risks, he assured stakeholders that WAEC had already successfully conducted CBT exams in remote and hard-to-reach areas without major disruptions.
“Performance data has shown that candidates actually perform better in CBT than in traditional paper-based tests,” Dangut added.
