FG hails NECO CBT exam, says technology curbing malpractice

The Federal Government on Wednesday expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the ongoing National Examinations Council school-based Senior School Certificate Examination.

It described the Computer-Based Test format as a major milestone in efforts to eliminate examination malpractice and improve the quality of secondary education across the country.

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

Prof. Ahmad said the monitoring exercise showed that candidates had embraced the CBT format, with most students describing it as easier to use and more convenient than the traditional paper-based 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,” she said.

The minister disclosed that interactions with candidates indicated overwhelming support for the CBT format, with only one student expressing equal preference for both the computer-based and paper-based systems.

She explained that one of the major advantages of CBT is its ability to significantly reduce examination malpractice through the randomisation of questions.

“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.

According to the minister, the Federal Government remains committed to expanding CBT examinations nationwide but will only implement a full transition after putting the necessary infrastructure in place to ensure 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 said.

Ahmad also commended the technical performance of the examination, noting that officials and candidates reported no cases of network failure, system malfunction or delays since the commencement of the exercise.

“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 added.

She described the smooth conduct of the examination as evidence that the CBT pilot programme introduced by NECO had recorded significant progress and was gradually evolving into a sustainable nationwide model.

Emphasising the government’s determination to safeguard the integrity of public examinations, the minister said the adoption of technology remained the most effective way of tackling examination malpractice.

“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,” she stated.

Also speaking after the monitoring exercise, NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi, said the council was on course to release the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination results by the first week of September, or even earlier, due to the faster processing enabled 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.

Wushishi disclosed that 1,378,048 candidates registered for the examination nationwide, with female candidates slightly outnumbering their male counterparts, which he attributed to sustained government efforts to promote girls’ education.

He also confirmed that no technical glitches had been recorded since the commencement of the CBT examination and noted 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 as a necessary step towards preparing students for an increasingly technology-driven world.

“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 intensified efforts to digitise public examinations as part of broader reforms aimed at improving the credibility, transparency and efficiency of Nigeria’s education system. Following the successful pilot of CBT in selected NECO subjects, the government has outlined plans for a gradual nationwide transition, supported by investments in digital infrastructure and collaboration with state governments, the National Assembly and private sector partners.

The move aligns with the Ministry of Education’s wider education reform agenda under the Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises technology-driven learning, improved assessment standards and the elimination of examination malpractice across all levels of education. NECO’s expanding adoption of CBT also follows similar digital examination models already implemented by other national examination bodies, including the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board .