The Federal Government has unveiled a comprehensive set of measures aimed at curbing examination malpractice in the 2026 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) as part of efforts to restore credibility and public confidence in Nigeria’s assessment system.
The announcement was made on Monday in Abuja by the Education Minister, Dr. Tunji Alausa, alongside the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmed, who said the reforms are designed to strengthen transparency, tighten oversight and improve accountability across all stages of national exams.
A major component of the new strategy is the introduction of enhanced question randomisation and serialisation– a system in which all candidates will answer the same questions but in a different sequence, ensuring each student sits for a unique version of the exam to reduce collusion.
Assuring stakeholders of full compliance, the ministers noted that exams will be conducted under strengthened supervision and in close coordination with all relevant examination bodies, state governments, school administrators and parents to ensure the smooth and credible conduct of the 2026 examinations nationwide.
The ministry also reiterated its strict ban on the transfer of students at the Senior Secondary School Three (SS3) level, warning that the directive already communicated via official circular will be rigorously enforced to curb last‑minute school changes often linked to malpractices.
To promote consistency and integrity in continuous assessment (CA), the Federal Government has developed new national CA guidelines that will take immediate effect. All examination bodies, including WAEC, NECO and the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS), must submit termly CA records within fixed timelines — January for first term, April for second term and August for third term.
In a bid to enhance monitoring and learner tracking, the ministry is introducing a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number for all candidates. Officials said this identifier will support better tracking throughout the exam process and help strengthen accountability, certification and data management.
