WAEC unveils tough integrity measures for 1.9m candidates

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has intensified measures to protect the integrity of the 2026 Computer-Based West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) as 1,959,636 candidates sit for the examination across Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

Head of WAEC National Office, Amos Dangut, disclosed this during a news conference at the council’s national office in Yaba, Lagos.

Dangut said that WAEC had strengthened its serialisation technology by ensuring candidates receive differently arranged questions, thereby reducing malpractice and preserving the integrity of examinations nationwide.

He said WAEC had equally strengthened its question serialisation system to ensure that candidates receive differently sequenced questions, reducing opportunities for collusion and malpractice.

“This innovation ensures that no two candidates have the same question sequence, thereby upholding the academic and moral integrity of the National Policy on Education,” he said.

He noted that the adoption of the computer-based examination has increased significantly this year, following its successful introduction in 2025 and strong support from the Federal Ministry of Education.

He explained that several schools in neighbouring countries offering the WAEC syllabus also opted for the computer-based format, reflecting growing regional confidence in the system.

He assured stakeholders that there would not be a repeat of last year’s incident, which led to the withdrawal and review of candidates’ results.

He said: “We have learnt our lesson. I assure Nigerians that such errors will not happen again. We have put in place measures to avert a repeat performance of last year’s episode.”

Dangut, who acknowledged insecurity in certain areas, said the council was working with the state governments and security agencies to ensure a hitch-free conduct of the CB-WASSCE.

He revealed that 1,959,636 candidates from 24,207 public and private schools enrolled for the examination nationwide.

He recalled that the council introduced its maiden CB-WASSCE for candidates in 2025 and that while some schools (40) enrolled for it, many opted for the traditional pen-and-paper mode.

He added: “This year, more schools (450) have chosen the CB-WASSCE option due to its seamless nature, alignment with global best practices and the success of last year’s edition. This is also in line with the recommendation of the Federal Ministry of Education.”

The HNO said, in addition, that some offshore schools in neighbouring countries that use the WAEC syllabus also opted for the CB-WASSCE for candidates in 2026.

He explained that in the council’s pursuit of leveraging modern Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to improve service delivery, it had continued the serialisation of examination papers.

According to him, the innovation would ensure that no two candidates have the same question sequence, thus upholding the academic and moral integrity of the National Policy on Education, stating, “this year, we have further refined this system to enhance its efficiency.”

He noted that the National Identification Number (NIN) was included in the registration process, in compliance with the Federal Government’s directives.

On insecurity in some specific areas, he acknowledged the security challenges in some parts of the country, adding, “conducting examinations under such conditions has been difficult but surmountable.”

He said the council would continue to partner with the Nigeria Police Force, other security outfits and state governments to provide security for the smooth conduct of the examination.

He confirmed that in some specific situations, state governments and schools have been given the power to relocate candidates to safer venues to sit the examination.

The WAEC boss also commended them for their collaborative efforts, especially in combating examination malpractice, saying, “the council decisively addresses examination malpractice. Penalties will be meted out to errant candidates, supervisors and schools, as approved by the Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC).”

He disclosed that awareness campaigns, seminars and sensitisation materials, including flyers, banners and posters, have been deployed nationwide to educate stakeholders and warned that candidates must write only the papers assigned to them; any deviation will attract consequences.

He further advised parents and guardians to encourage their wards to study diligently and avoid malpractice, and warned that schools engaging in mass cheating would be de-recognised, officials punished and candidates sanctioned.

“The council, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, State Ministries of Education, the Nigeria Police Force and other stakeholders, is fully prepared to deliver a credible CB-WASSCE for candidates in 2026,” the HNO stated.

He said the CB-WASSCE results would be released 45 days after the last paper, while certificates would be printed and issued to schools within 90 days, and that digital copies of certificates would also be available via the WAEC digital certificate platform.

The HNO appealed to politicians during campaigns to take cognisance of the fact that candidates would be writing the CB-WASSCE and should avoid any political activity that could disrupt the examination.

“There are elections that could be rescheduled; politicians should note that WASSCE is an international exam. We appeal to the government and agencies to consult the council before taking any decision that might affect candidates,” he argued.