The federal government has directed the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to fully switch to computer-based testing (CBT) for all their exams by 2026.
The Minister of State for Education, Tunji Alausa, announced this on Monday while monitoring the ongoing UTME exams alongside JAMB officials in Bwari. Over two million candidates have registered for the UTME, taking place in more than 800 centres nationwide.
Alausa said that starting this November, WAEC and NECO will begin administering their objective papers using CBT. By May/June 2026, both the objective and essay sections will be conducted entirely through CBT.
“If JAMB can successfully conduct CBT exams for over 2.2 million candidates, WAEC and NECO can do the same,” the Minister said. “We are introducing CBT for objective exams first, and by 2026, both objectives and essays will be fully computer-based. This move will help eliminate exam malpractice.”
He also mentioned that a committee is currently reviewing the standards of examinations across the country, with its report expected next month.
Meanwhile, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, clarified the exam schedule, stating that UTME exams have always started at 8:00 a.m., with candidates required to arrive by 6:30 a.m. for accreditation.
“The first session starts at 8:00 a.m., the second at 10:30 a.m., the third at 1:00 p.m., and the fourth at 3:30 p.m.,” Oloyede explained.
He also dismissed claims that candidates were posted to centres they did not select, noting that investigations found no such incidents.
Oloyede confirmed that over 1.6 million out of the 2.03 million registered candidates had already completed their exams, with about 50,000 candidates still scheduled to sit.
