The Federal Government has announced a sweeping set of reforms aimed at eliminating examination malpractice in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations beginning with the 2026 examination cycle.
The measures, unveiled by the Federal Ministry of Education, are part of ongoing reforms to strengthen the credibility, transparency, and public confidence in Nigeria’s assessment and certification system.
According to a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, alongside the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmed, disclosed that the government is intensifying oversight and deploying targeted strategies to safeguard the integrity of national examinations.
A major feature of the reforms is the introduction of enhanced question randomisation and serialisation. Under the new system, all candidates will answer the same examination questions, but the sequence and arrangement will differ for each candidate. This approach is expected to significantly reduce collusion, copying, and other forms of examination malpractice.
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The Ministry also reaffirmed its strict policy prohibiting the transfer of candidates at the Senior Secondary School Three (SS3) level. The directive, already communicated through an official circular, will be rigorously enforced to curb last-minute school changes often linked to examination fraud.
In addition, the Federal Government has developed new national guidelines for Continuous Assessment (CA), which will take immediate effect. All examination bodies, including WAEC, NECO, and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), are required to strictly adhere to standardized submission timelines.
Under the new framework, Continuous Assessment submissions must follow these mandatory windows:
- First Term CA: January
- Second Term CA: April
- Third Term CA: August
The Ministry noted that these timelines are designed to ensure consistency, data integrity, and prompt processing of Continuous Assessment records nationwide.
To further enhance transparency and accountability, the government is introducing a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number for all candidates. The identifier will enable effective tracking of learners throughout the examination process, improve monitoring, and support long-term reforms in assessment, certification, and education data management.
The Ministers assured stakeholders that examination administration will now be conducted under strengthened supervision and closer coordination with relevant examination bodies to ensure strict compliance with established guidelines and ethical standards.
They emphasized that the reforms reflect the Federal Government’s resolve to conduct examinations that are credible, fair, and aligned with global best practices, while addressing Nigeria’s unique educational realities.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with examination bodies, state governments, school administrators, parents, and candidates to ensure the smooth implementation of the new measures and the successful conduct of the 2026 examinations nationwide.
