The Federal Government has announced a fresh set of strategies aimed at addressing examination malpractice in public examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council and the National Examinations Council, with implementation set to begin from the 2026 examination year.
Question randomisation, stricter transfer rules
The reforms were unveiled on Monday in Abuja by the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa, alongside the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmed.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to restore credibility and public confidence in Nigeria’s examination and assessment system.
“Every student writes a unique version of the examination,” the ministry stated, explaining that enhanced question randomisation and serialisation would ensure that although candidates answer the same questions.
New assessment guidelines, learner identity number
Beyond changes to question formats, the Federal Government also reaffirmed its position on student transfers at the senior secondary level.
In addition, the government has approved new national guidelines for Continuous Assessment aimed at improving accountability and uniformity across schools and examination bodies.
The guidelines introduce fixed submission timelines for assessment records to ensure consistency and proper data management nationwide.
“All examination bodies (WAEC, NECO, NBAIS, etc.) must strictly follow the standardised submission deadlines for each academic period: Submission Windows (First Term CA: January; Second Term CA: April; Third Term CA: August). These timelines are mandatory and designed to ensure consistency, data integrity, and prompt processing of Continuous Assessment records across the country.”
The Federal Ministry of Education added that the reforms would be implemented in collaboration with examination bodies, state governments, and school administrators to ensure the smooth conduct of the 2026 examinations.