WAEC’s Bold Move: Full Computer-Based Exams Set for 2026
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has set the record straight: the planned migration of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to a computer-based format will proceed as scheduled, despite swirling reports that the National Assembly had called for a halt.
Speaking to journalists after the 63rd Nigeria National Council (NNC) meeting in Umuahia, Abia State, Dr. Amos Dangut, Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office (HNO), emphasised that the council acts only on official directives, not media reports or public debate, could alter WAEC’s implementation plan.
As we speak, we are only hearing of discussions at the National Assembly. No formal communication has reached us. WAEC is a structured organisation; we respond only to official directives that promote learning and sustainable development,” Dangut said
The clarification comes amid widespread misinterpretation that all schools would automatically switch to computer-based WASSCE in 2026. According to Dangut, pilot testing will be conducted only in schools with adequate ICT infrastructure, many of which have already volunteered. For institutions lacking the necessary facilities, WAEC will leverage existing community-based computer-based exam (CBE) centres to ensure every candidate has access.
WAEC’s nationwide ICT readiness survey resulted in a three-tier classification of schools:
- Schools not ready for CBE, requiring support or alternative arrangements.
- Schools capable of handling only objective papers digitally.
- Schools fully equipped to handle all papers—objective, essay, and practical—via computer.
This framework, Dangut explained, will guide logistics and examination modalities for the 2026 pilot.
The HNO also addressed changes to the curriculum. While the federal government recently revised basic and secondary school syllabuses, two new core subjects, Citizenship and Heritage Studies and Digital Technologies—will not be examined in 2026 and 2027 due to ongoing syllabus development. Candidates will sit for three core subjects: English Language, General Mathematics, and one trade subject, with additional subjects selected to reach the approved minimum of eight and maximum of nine.
Trade subjects have also been streamlined from 26 to six, with some renamed while retaining their curriculum content. Notably, Horticulture and Crop Production now emerges as a key trade subject derived from Agricultural Science.
Addressing student concerns about elective choices, Dangut reassured that no candidate will be barred from registering subjects outside their field. Science students, for instance, may still take Economics as an elective.
WAEC has also extended the window for uploading Continuous Assessment Scores (CASS) to ensure fairness for candidates taking the newly approved subjects.
In urging the media to assist in public education, Dangut highlighted the benefits of CBE: improved candidate performance, reduced malpractice below international thresholds, and enthusiastic participation from students in pilot centres.
With the 2026 pilot set to proceed, WAEC’s message is clear: the transition to computer-based WASSCE is not only on track but represents a bold step in modernising education in Nigeria.
