The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has reaffirmed its commitment to migrate the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to a fully computer-based testing (CBT) system by 2026.
Head of WAEC’s National Office, Dr. Amos Dangut, gave the assurance on Tuesday during a sensitisation meeting with the National Assembly Committee on Education in Abuja.
He explained that the transition, which began with private candidates in 2024, has made “significant progress” and will be expanded nationwide ahead of next year’s deadline.
“We have conducted five exams already — one for private candidates and one for school candidates — and by 2026, deployment will be massive,” Dangut said.
Addressing concerns about infrastructure and cyber risks, he noted that WAEC had already conducted examinations in hard-to-reach areas without disruptions. He also revealed that candidates’ performances in CBT exams had been “empirically better” than in paper-based tests.
WAEC had first adopted the CBT model in 2024 for private candidates, replacing the traditional paper-and-pencil method. The examination body now plans to extend the format to school candidates across the country.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has also expressed support for the move. On July 22, 2025, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, confirmed that both private and public CBT centres nationwide would be fully deployed for WASSCE from next year.
“WAEC and NECO exams are school-based, but we will move away from that. Just like JAMB exams, they will now be conducted at CBT centres. We have thousands of centres across the nation, and those will be utilised,” Alausa stated.
The full transition is expected to not only improve efficiency but also align Nigeria’s education system with global digital standards.
