- * Says Exams Will Be Computer Based From 2026
- Outline Stringent Measures To Frustrate Corrupt Students, Exam Officers, Parents, School Authorities
By Tayo Oguntade (Education Correspondent)
In a swift move to save the education system in Nigeria and by extension, within the West African region, the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examination Council (NECO) have resolved that the Pen-on-paper examination model which has existed since the inception of the two exam bodies will stop in 2025.
This means that from the coming year 2026, WASSCE and NECO examinations for the Senior School 3 category in all secondary schools in Nigeria, will be computer based, just like the University Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) exams conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
This was the resolution at the weekend, according to a briefing by WASSCE and NECO authorities, to senior school principals, supervisors and exam officers, etc.
Among the resolutions, NIGERIAN NEWSLEADER Newspaper gathered on Sunday morning, are that school centres will no longer exist, only examination centres, just like JAMB centres, as directed by the Nigeria's Minister of Education.
It was also resolved that the exam papers will be customized, and that no two student's answer the same questions on the same subject. The exam bodies warned that any school penalized by either of WASSCE or NECO will equally be penalized by all the two examination bodies.
It was however resolved too, that if a candidate does not have a customized question paper, he or she should not use the customized OMR sheet. Instead, such candidate will be provided with a dummy question paper.
WASSCE and NECO were also of the resolve that once a candidate is caught for any act of malpractice in the examination hall during any of the papers, such candidate automatically would have his or her papers withheld in the examination.
It was agreed via the resolution that school principals would be the chief security officers and custodians of the examination in the schools. However, the punishment for any examination malpractice is the cancellation of the entire result of the candidate.
Principals are also enjoined to ensure that examinations are hitch free for all exams. "Mark and attendance sheets will no longer be in existence as soon as the computer based examination (CBE) commences. NNL.
