The Federal Government has announced far-reaching reforms aimed at stamping out examination malpractice in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), with full implementation to commence from the 2026 examination cycle.
The new measures, unveiled on Monday in Abuja, are part of efforts to restore credibility, integrity and public confidence in Nigeria’s examination system, which has for years been plagued by cheating, impersonation and other irregularities.
Speaking at the announcement, the Minister of Education, Dr. Morufu-Tunji Alausa, alongside the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmed, said the reforms would strengthen transparency, tighten oversight and deploy technology across all stages of national examinations.
A statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs. Boriowo Folasade, said the government was determined to confront what it described as “long-standing and systemic challenges” undermining public examinations.
Central to the reforms is the introduction of enhanced question randomisation and serialisation.
Under the new system, candidates will answer the same questions but in different sequences and formats, ensuring that no two candidates write identical versions of an examination.
According to the ministry, the move is aimed at drastically reducing collusion and copying in examination halls. “Every student will write a unique version of the examination, making cheating far more difficult,” the statement said.
The Federal Government also reiterated its ban on the transfer of students at the Senior Secondary School Three (SS3) level, warning that the policy would now be enforced without exception.
It recalled that the ban, earlier communicated through an official circular, was introduced to halt last-minute transfers often linked to examination malpractice and sharp practices by some schools.
To further enhance accountability, the ministry announced the approval and immediate implementation of new national guidelines on Continuous Assessment (CA).
Under the guidelines, examination bodies including WAEC, NECO and the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) are required to comply strictly with standardised timelines for the submission of assessment records—January for first term, April for second term and August for third term.
“These timelines are mandatory and designed to ensure consistency, data integrity and prompt processing of Continuous Assessment records across the country,” the ministry stated.
In another major reform, the government disclosed plans to introduce a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number for all candidates.
The identifier, officials said, would enable effective tracking of learners throughout the examination process, strengthen monitoring and accountability, and support long-term reforms in assessment, certification and data management.
The ministers assured stakeholders that future examinations would be conducted under closer supervision and in stronger collaboration with examination bodies to ensure strict adherence to ethical and professional standards.
They stressed that the new measures reflect the Federal Government’s resolve to run examinations that are credible, fair and in line with global best practices, while also responding to Nigeria’s peculiar educational challenges.
The Ministry of Education reaffirmed its commitment to working with state governments, school administrators, parents, examination bodies and candidates to ensure the smooth implementation of the reforms ahead of the 2026 examinations nationwide.
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