The Federal Government says the National Examinations Council’s, NECO, Computer-Based Test, CBT, has dealt a major blow to examination malpractice, with candidates receiving different sets of questions since the examination began.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, stated this on Wednesday while monitoring the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination at Redeemers in Abuja.
According to her, feedback from candidates showed that most candidates prefer the CBT format to the traditional paper-based examination and confirmed that the tests commenced on schedule without technical glitches.
“The CBT makes communication between candidates impossible and is one of the best ways of tackling examination malpractice,” she said.
Ahmad added that the Federal Government would only implement full CBT nationwide after putting the necessary infrastructure in place to ensure no student is disadvantaged.
Also speaking, NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, said the council had recorded no technical hitch since the examination began.
He disclosed that 1,378,048 candidates registered for the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination, adding that the results are expected to be released by the first week of September to support the 2026 admission process.
Wushishi said the CBT system’s randomisation of questions had significantly reduced opportunities for examination malpractice, while candidates who spoke after the examination described the process as seamless and more convenient than the paper-based format.
One of the candidates, Ambassador Alabi of Redeemers Teap School, described the CBT examination as seamless and more convenient than the traditional paper-based format.
Another candidate, Isaac Abioro of Anglican Girls’ Grammar School, also said the examination was efficient and easy to navigate, adding that there had been no technical glitches since it began.
NECO: Candidates are tested on different sets of questions – Min for State, Prof Ahmad