The Federal Government has expressed satisfaction with the ongoing Computer-Based Test (CBT) format of the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination, describing the exercise as a major step toward curbing examination malpractice and improving educational standards across Nigeria.
Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, gave the assessment on Wednesday after monitoring the examination at Redeemers Teap International School, Garki II, and Anglican Girls’ Grammar School, Gudu, both in Abuja. She said the exercise had so far been successful, noting that candidates appeared comfortable with the digital examination process.
According to the minister, feedback from students indicated widespread acceptance of the CBT format, with many describing it as more convenient than the traditional paper-based system. She revealed that only one candidate expressed equal preference for both methods during her interactions with students.
Ahmad explained that the technology-driven examination system helps reduce malpractice by presenting candidates with different sets of questions, making it difficult for students seated close to one another to exchange answers. She stressed that the government would only implement a full nationwide transition after ensuring the necessary infrastructure is available across the country to prevent any student from being disadvantaged.
She also commended the technical performance recorded during the exercise, stating that there had been no reports of network failures, system malfunctions or delays at the centres she visited. The smooth conduct of the examination, she added, demonstrates that NECO’s CBT pilot programme is progressing successfully toward becoming a sustainable national model.
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NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi, disclosed that the council expects to release the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination results by the first week of September, or possibly earlier, due to the speed of processing made possible by the CBT system.
Wushishi further revealed that 1,378,048 candidates registered for this year’s examination, with female candidates slightly outnumbering their male counterparts. He also confirmed that no technical glitches had been recorded since the examinations commenced and noted that Abuja currently has about 10 accredited CBT centres participating in the exercise.
Also speaking, the Principal of Anglican Girls’ Grammar School, Gudu, Mrs. Nkiruka Nwafor, described the transition to CBT as a welcome development, saying it would better prepare students for a technology-driven future. She noted that the school had already introduced computer-based testing for some internal examinations to familiarise students with the system from their junior secondary years.
The Federal Government said the gradual adoption of CBT forms part of broader education reforms aimed at improving the credibility, transparency and efficiency of public examinations through increased investment in digital infrastructure and collaboration with key stakeholders nationwide.