The West African Examinations Council has insisted that it is still on schedule to administer the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination to school applicants using a completely computer-based approach.
- The West African Examinations Council has insisted that it is still on schedule to administer the 2026 West African Senior...
- Dr Amos Dangut, the head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, announced this on Friday at a news conference in Umuahia,...
- He brought up the federal government’s directive mandating that all public testing organisations switch to digital assessments starting in 2026. ...
- According to him, the Council only carries out authorised actions in accordance with administrative and legal frameworks.
Keep reading for the full breakdown on CBT — everything you need to know is covered below.
Dr Amos Dangut, the head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, announced this on Friday at a news conference in Umuahia, Abia State.
Dangut’s speech addressed the mounting worries of education stakeholders, schools, and parents about the switch to the computer-based WASSCE for the May/June diet.
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Lawmakers’ opposition to full CBT WASSCE
Recall that on November 13, the House of Representatives requested that WAEC and the Federal Ministry of Education immediately halt the computer-based test policy for the 2026 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination.
Additionally, the House instructed the Federal Ministry of Education to work with states to incorporate the hiring of computer instructors, the building of computer halls with internet access, and the provision of backup generators for all secondary schools across the nation into their 2026–2029 budgets.
Before the policy’s implementation in 2030, it also urged private schools to ensure they had sufficient facilities.
WAEC’s preparedness to conduct full CBT WASSCE
But according to Dangut, the briefing was required to discuss the Council’s readiness to comply with the Federal Government’s order requiring the 2026 WASSCE to be administered via computer-based assessment.
He brought up the federal government’s directive mandating that all public testing organisations switch to digital assessments starting in 2026. He claimed that WAEC promptly started several actions, such as assessing the preparedness of schools across the country and testing digital exam platforms.
He explained that WAEC checked all secondary schools in the country to see how well they could use technology, where they were located, and if they had the right setup for digital exams, which helped create a new system to group schools into three categories for
According to him, the results influenced a new classification system that divided schools into three groups to determine how candidates would be allocated to centres.
He said, “Following the Council’s rules for testing, we looked at how ready all secondary schools in the country were, especially their locations and access to modern technology, which helped us create a system that sorts schools into three main groups.”
“Based on this framework, the Council conducted a mapping of the schools and modalities for the conduct of the CB-WASSCE in line with the mapping of the schools, thereby ensuring that the conduct of the CB-WASSCE will not put any candidate in a disadvantageous position.”
He emphasised that WAEC had completed its mapping strategy to guarantee convenience, equity, and safety, taking into account concerns about candidates travelling long distances.
“Therefore, I stand here today to assure the general public that the Council has developed a robust strategy to ensure that no candidate sitting the CB-WASSCE for School Candidates, 2026, will be disenfranchised.
“Furthermore, we have a firm plan to ensure that no candidate will have to travel for more than two kilometres to sit the examination. This is our commitment to access and equity,” he assured.
Clarification on new school curriculum
Regarding the contentious curriculum review, Dangut emphasised that WAEC, not the Federal Government, was still in charge of developing and approving the curriculum.
According to him, the Council only carries out authorised actions in accordance with administrative and legal frameworks.
“On the recent review of the Basic and Secondary School Curricula, the Council wishes to clarify that this initiative is a directive from the Federal Government.
“The Council operates strictly within the legal framework of its host country, and the Government is solely responsible for the development of curricula and the monitoring of their implementation,” he noted.
He described the five fields—Core, Science, Humanities, Business, and Trade Subjects—that make up the newly authorised subject structure for the 2026 WASSCE. Digital technologies and citizenship and heritage studies are now required core courses, but they won’t be studied until 2028, Dangut continued.
“The Government approved Core (Compulsory) subjects are: English Language, General Mathematics, Citizenship and Heritage Studies, Digital Technologies, and one Trade Subject. However, candidates will not be tested in Citizenship and Heritage Studies and Digital Technologies in 2026 and would therefore not be examined until 2028 upon full implementation of the revised and streamlined syllabus,” he said.
He noted that as a result of this change, candidates will only take three core subjects in the 2026 and 2027 exams: English language, general mathematics, and one trade topic. They will also choose five or six electives, increasing their overall subject load to eight or nine.
Additionally, he revealed that the number of trade subjects had been lowered from 26 to six, with some subjects retaining their current curriculum material but being renamed.
He stated that one of the new courses, Horticulture and Crop Production, will have its own curriculum and is based on Agricultural Science.
Dangut told parents and schools that WAEC had not imposed any limitations on candidates selecting subjects across fields in response to worries regarding subject registration limits.
“Specifically, Science students will not be barred from taking Economics as an elective,” he said.
Regarding continuous assessment, he declared that WAEC would provide schools more time to adapt to the new curriculum by extending the deadline for uploading Continuous Assessment Scores.
In order to satisfy the CASS requirement, he recommended that institutions administer the necessary minimum of three tests to applicants entering new courses.
“Furthermore, WAEC will extend the period for Continuous Assessment Scores upload to ensure they meet the CASS requirement,” he said.