The West African Examinations Council has reiterated that preparations for the full computer-based administration of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination for school candidates are progressing as scheduled.
WAEC also assured that no student will be required to travel more than two kilometres from their location to sit for the exam.
This assurance was delivered by the Head of the Nigeria National Office of WAEC, Dr. Amos Dangut, during a press briefing in Umuahia, Abia State, on Friday. His remarks addressed rising concerns from parents, school administrators, and other education stakeholders about the shift to the Computer-Based WASSCE for the May/June examination diet.
The concerns followed the House of Representatives’ November 13 directive calling on the Federal Ministry of Education and WAEC to suspend the CBT policy. Lawmakers also urged the government and states to budget for the recruitment of computer teachers, build ICT-enabled exam halls, and provide backup power systems in all secondary schools between 2026 and 2029. Private schools were also advised to strengthen facilities ahead of a possible rollout by 2030.
Responding, Dangut said the Council needed to clarify its level of preparedness, especially as the Federal Government has already mandated all public examination bodies to transition to digital assessment from 2026. He noted that WAEC had since begun testing digital platforms and carrying out comprehensive readiness assessments across schools nationwide.
According to him, the Council evaluated schools based on ICT infrastructure, geographic location, and overall capacity to support computer-based testing. These findings informed a new three-tier classification model that will determine how and where candidates are assigned for the exams.
He explained that WAEC had completed the mapping of schools in line with this framework, ensuring that the implementation of the CBT model will not disadvantage any candidate.
Dangut emphasised that concerns about long travel distances were unfounded, noting that WAEC’s strategy guarantees convenience and safety for all candidates.
He assured: “No candidate taking the 2026 Computer-Based WASSCE will be disenfranchised. Our plan ensures that no student will travel more than two kilometres to sit the examination. This remains our commitment to access and equity.”
Addressing the controversy over curriculum changes, he clarified that curriculum development is the exclusive responsibility of the Federal Government, while WAEC only implements approved guidelines.
He outlined the revised subject fields for the 2026 WASSCE—Core, Science, Humanities, Business, and Trade—and noted that while Citizenship and Heritage Studies and Digital Technologies are now core subjects, they will not be examined until 2028.
This means candidates for the 2026 and 2027 exams will only take three core subjects: English Language, General Mathematics, and one Trade Subject, in addition to five or six elective subjects.
He revealed that the Trade Subjects have been reduced from 26 to six, with some renamed but retaining their original curriculum content. A new subject, Horticulture and Crop Production, was introduced from Agricultural Science with a dedicated syllabus.
On subject registration, Dangut reassured candidates and schools that WAEC has not imposed restrictions across fields, confirming, for instance, that science students may still choose Economics as an elective.
Regarding continuous assessment, he announced an extension of the deadline for uploading Continuous Assessment Scores to help schools meet CA requirements under the revised curriculum. He urged schools to conduct at least three assessments for candidates taking newly introduced subjects to meet CASS standards.
