The Federal Government has rolled out a new set of measures to tackle examination malpractice in the West African Examinations Council and National Examinations Council examinations from 2026, as part of reforms aimed at improving credibility and public trust in Nigeria’s assessment process.
The disclosure was contained in a press release issued by the Federal Ministry of Education on Monday in Abuja.
Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, alongside the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmed, said the ministry was strengthening supervision and applying focused strategies to protect the conduct of national examinations.
One of the steps announced is the adoption of enhanced question randomisation and serialisation. Under the plan, candidates will answer the same questions, but with different arrangements and sequences, ensuring each student writes a distinct version of the examination and limiting chances of collusion.
The ministry also restated its ban on the transfer of candidates at the Senior Secondary School Three level, noting that the directive, already issued through an official circular, would be fully enforced to stop last-minute school changes linked to malpractice.
To promote openness in assessment, new national Continuous Assessment guidelines have been developed for immediate use. Examination bodies, including WAEC, NECO and NBAIS, are required to comply with fixed timelines for submission of Continuous Assessment records: January for the first term, April for the second term and August for the third term.
The Federal Ministry of Education said the deadlines are compulsory and intended to promote uniformity, protect records and allow the timely processing of Continuous Assessment data nationwide.
The government also announced the introduction of a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number for all candidates. The number is expected to support tracking throughout the examination process, improve monitoring and accountability, and aid long-term reforms in assessment, certification and data handling.
The ministers assured stakeholders that examination administration would take place under tighter supervision, working with relevant examination bodies to enforce guidelines and ethical standards.
The ministry restated its resolve to work with examination bodies, state governments, school managers, parents and candidates to ensure the smooth conduct of the 2026 examinations across the country.
