1.38m Candidates Write NECO CBT as FG Moves to End Exam Malpractice

The Federal Government on Wednesday said the gradual adoption of Computer-Based Testing (CBT) by the National Examinations Council (NECO) is strengthening efforts to eliminate examination malpractice, as 1.38 million candidates sit this year’s Senior School Certificate Examination nationwide.

Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, gave the assessment after monitoring the ongoing examination at Redeemers Teap International School, Garki II, and Anglican Girls’ Grammar School, Gudu, in Abuja.

She said observations from the centres showed that candidates had adapted well to the CBT format, with many describing it as more convenient than the traditional paper-and-pencil examination.

“My assessment of the examination is that I’m very happy because from what I have seen in the two centres that I visited, the students are writing the CBT examination and they are happy. The setting for the examination is excellent,” Ahmad said.

The minister noted that discussions with candidates indicated broad acceptance of the new examination method, with only one student expressing no preference between the computer-based and paper-based formats.

She explained that the CBT system is designed to curb examination malpractice by ensuring that candidates receive different sets of questions, making collusion during examinations more difficult.

“I interacted with them to know whether they had seen the questions before the examination because that is one of the key challenges we are trying to address through CBT. They said no. Each student is writing a different set of questions, so even those sitting beside one another cannot communicate because their questions are different,” she said.

Ahmad stressed that the Federal Government would only proceed with a full transition to CBT after ensuring that the required infrastructure is available nationwide so that no candidate is disadvantaged.

“We will not begin the complete transition until everything is ready because we do not want to put any student at a disadvantage. We are working closely with the National Assembly, state governors, private partners and other stakeholders to provide the necessary infrastructure and facilities for the transition,” she added.

The minister also expressed satisfaction with the technical performance of the examination, saying reports from officials and candidates showed there had been no network failures, system malfunctions or delays since the exercise commenced.

“In the schools I visited, I asked whether there were technical glitches in accessing the questions or starting the examination. They assured me that there had been no technical hitch. The examinations started on time without network problems or interruptions,” she said.

According to her, the seamless conduct of the exercise demonstrates that NECO’s phased introduction of CBT is making steady progress and could become a sustainable model for conducting public examinations across the country.

“As far as we want quality education, we must eliminate examination malpractice, and I think the only way forward is to move towards CBT examinations,” Ahmad said.

Also speaking, NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi, disclosed that 1,378,048 candidates registered for the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination nationwide, with female candidates slightly outnumbering their male counterparts.

He attributed the development to sustained government interventions aimed at improving access to education for girls.

Wushishi also announced that the council expects to release the examination results by the first week of September, or even earlier, owing to the faster processing made possible by the CBT system.

“By the first week of September, or even before then, we should be ready so that candidates can use their results for admission,” he said.

The registrar further confirmed that the examination had so far recorded no technical glitches, adding that Abuja currently has about 10 accredited CBT centres participating in the exercise.

The Principal of Anglican Girls’ Grammar School, Gudu, Nkiruka Nwafor, described the transition to CBT as a welcome development that would better prepare students for a technology-driven future.

“The CBT experience is what we’ve all been waiting for. The future our girls are going into is dynamic and heavily ICT-driven.

“We are excited that our proprietor got on board. We have also introduced CBT for some of our internal examinations so that from JS1 and JS2, the students gradually get used to the system. So it’s about time, and it’s good that it’s happening,” she said.

The Federal Government has been expanding the use of digital technology in public examinations as part of broader education reforms aimed at improving transparency, credibility and efficiency in the assessment system. Officials say the nationwide transition to CBT will be implemented in phases as infrastructure and access improve across the country.