WAEC Confirms 2026 Deadline for Full Computer-Based Testing in WASSCE Despite Infrastructure Concerns

By Emiola Osifeso

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has reiterated its commitment to phasing out paper-and-pencil testing and fully migrating the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to computer-based testing (CBT) by 2026.

The Head of WAEC’s National Office, Dr. Amos Dangut, made this assurance on Tuesday during a sensitisation meeting with members of the National Assembly Committee on Education in Abuja.

Dangut noted that the transition, which began with private candidates in 2024, has already recorded “significant progress” and will be scaled up nationwide to meet the 2026 deadline.

He explained:

“We have conducted five exams already—one for private candidates and one for school candidates—and by 2026, deployment will be massive. What we have seen so far gives us confidence that a nationwide rollout is feasible.”

On worries about poor infrastructure, digital literacy gaps, and cyber risks, Dangut was emphatic that the Council had overcome earlier challenges.

“We have successfully conducted exams in hard-to-reach areas without disruptions. Contrary to fears, candidates’ performances in CBT have been empirically better than in paper-based tests,” he said.

WAEC’s push for CBT is not new. On January 9, 2024, PUNCH reported that the examination body officially dumped the traditional paper-and-pencil test model for private candidates, adopting CBT as the sole mode of examination.

The Council is now seeking to build on that pilot scheme by including school candidates—a much larger group—into the system.

Backing WAEC’s move, the Federal Government had, on July 22, 2025, announced that privately-owned CBT centres and others operated by public institutions would be fully deployed for the conduct of the school-based WASSCE from 2026.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, explained that the government’s decision is aimed at standardising examinations across the country.

He stated: “WAEC and NECO exams are school-based exams being conducted at their schools. No, we will move away from that. It is going to be like the way JAMB exams are being conducted at CBT centres. We have thousands of CBT centres across the nation. Those are the centres that we are going to use. It’s not the case that students do not have the facilities. Schools do not have the facilities, but the CBT centres do.”

While stakeholders have expressed concerns about rural access, electricity supply, and the risk of cyberattacks, both WAEC and the Federal Ministry of Education maintain that Nigeria is ready for the full transition.

WAEC believes the migration will not only ensure greater transparency in examinations but also reduce malpractice, speed up grading, and align Nigeria’s examination system with global best practices.

Dangut concluded with a reassurance to parents, schools, and policymakers:

“We are confident that by 2026, the West African Senior School Certificate Examination will be fully digital. WAEC has taken the bold step, and we are committed to seeing it through.”