The Federal Government has unveiled a comprehensive set of reforms aimed at eliminating examination malpractice in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations from 2026 and beyond.

The measures, according to the Federal Ministry of Education, are part of broader efforts to strengthen the credibility, transparency, and public confidence in Nigeria’s assessment and certification system.

In a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, Boriowo Folasade, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, alongside the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmed, disclosed that the government is intensifying oversight and deploying targeted strategies to safeguard the integrity of national examinations.

One of the major reforms announced is the introduction of enhanced question randomisation and serialisation mechanisms. Although all candidates will answer the same examination questions, the sequence and arrangement of the questions will differ for each candidate. This approach, the Ministry said, will ensure that every student writes a unique version of the examination, thereby significantly reducing opportunities for collusion and cheating.

The Ministry also reaffirmed its strict policy prohibiting the transfer of candidates at the Senior Secondary School Three (SS3) level. This directive, already communicated through an official circular, will now be rigorously enforced to curb last-minute school transfers often linked to examination malpractice.

To further promote transparency and uniformity, the Federal Government has developed new national Continuous Assessment (CA) guidelines for immediate implementation. Under the guidelines, all examination bodies, including WAEC, NECO, and the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS), are required to strictly adhere to standardized submission timelines.

The approved submission windows are January for First Term Continuous Assessment, April for Second Term, and August for Third Term. The Ministry stressed that these timelines are mandatory and designed to ensure consistency, data integrity, and timely processing of Continuous Assessment records nationwide.

In another major development, the Ministry announced the introduction of a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number for all candidates. The identifier will enable effective tracking of learners throughout the examination process, strengthen monitoring and accountability, and support long-term reforms in assessment, certification, and data management.

The Ministers further assured stakeholders that examination administration will be conducted under strengthened supervision, in close coordination with relevant examination bodies, to ensure strict compliance with established guidelines and ethical standards.

They emphasized that the reforms reflect the Federal Government’s commitment to conducting examinations that are credible, fair, and aligned with global best practices, while also addressing Nigeria’s unique educational challenges.

The Federal Ministry of Education reaffirmed its readiness to work closely with examination bodies, state governments, school administrators, parents, and candidates to ensure the successful implementation of the measures and the smooth conduct of the 2026 examinations across the country.