The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has directed the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to commence conducting their objective tests via Computer-Based Testing (CBT) by November 2025.
He said that by May/June 2026, both the objective and essay components of WAEC and NECO are expected to be fully transitioned to CBT to further curb examination malpractice.
The minister stated this during an inspection of the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) after visiting some of the centres in Abuja on Monday.
Dr Alausa noted that if JAMB could successfully conduct CBT exams for over 2.2 million candidates nationwide, WAEC and NECO, which handle slightly fewer numbers, should also be able to replicate the same feat without difficulty.
He, however, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the ongoing UTME and commended the high level of coordination, transparency and integrity demonstrated by the board, describing the examination process as meeting international standards and being almost foolproof against malpractice.
He said under the current administration, the rule of law is respected, allowing institutions like JAMB to operate independently and efficiently.
He warned candidates against engaging in cheating, urging them to rely on hard work to achieve success.
The minister also disclosed that a committee headed by a professor had been set up to review and recommend strategies to maintain and improve examination quality across all levels.
Speaking, the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of JAMB, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, gave a detailed account of the technical and operational framework behind the administration of the UTME.
Oloyede revealed that JAMB processed applications from over 2,040,538 candidates seeking admission into 1,452 tertiary institutions, supported by over 2,000 staff members and thousands of ad hoc personnel managing CBT centres across the federation.
He said JAMB’s robust and secure processes have set a new benchmark for examinations in Nigeria and affirmed the board’s commitment to sustaining and improving the standards.
