The Federal Government has announced a comprehensive set of measures aimed at eliminating examination malpractice in the 2026 examinations and beyond conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).
The measures were disclosed in a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Education as part of ongoing reforms to strengthen credibility, transparency and public confidence in Nigeria’s assessment system.
According to the statement, the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, alongside the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmed, said the Ministry is intensifying oversight and deploying targeted strategies to safeguard the integrity of national examinations.
The statement, signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs Folasade Boriowo, and made available to journalists on Monday in Abuja, revealed that one of the key measures is the introduction of enhanced question randomisation and serialisation mechanisms.
Under this system, although all candidates will answer the same examination questions, the sequencing and arrangement will differ for each candidate, ensuring that every student writes a unique version of the examination and significantly reducing opportunities for collusion.
The Ministry also reaffirmed its strict policy prohibiting the transfer of candidates at the Senior Secondary School Three (SS3) level. Boriowo noted that this directive, already communicated through an official circular, would be rigorously enforced to prevent last-minute school changes often linked to examination malpractice.
To further promote transparency, the Ministry has developed new national Continuous Assessment (CA) guidelines for immediate implementation. All examination bodies, including WAEC and NECO, are required to strictly adhere to standardized submission deadlines for each academic term.
According to the guidelines, First Term CA submissions must be completed in January, Second Term in April, and Third Term in August. The Ministry stressed that these timelines are mandatory and designed to ensure consistency, data integrity and timely processing of Continuous Assessment records nationwide.
In addition, the Federal Ministry of Education is introducing a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number for all candidates. This 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 would be conducted under strengthened supervision and in close coordination with relevant examination bodies to ensure strict compliance with established guidelines and ethical standards.
The Ministry emphasized that the new measures reflect the Federal Government’s resolve to conduct examinations that are credible, fair and aligned with global best practices, while addressing Nigeria’s unique educational realities.
It also reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with examination bodies, state governments, school administrators, parents and candidates to ensure the successful implementation of the strategies and the smooth conduct of the 2026 examinations nationwide.
