The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has unveiled plans to commence computer-based examinations, known as CB-WASSCE, starting next year. The council said the initiative is designed to reduce examination malpractice and strengthen the integrity of its assessments.
According to WAEC, the new system will combine both digital and manual components, beginning with the current SS3 students across Nigeria and other West African countries.
Speaking during a sensitisation rally in Port Harcourt, the Zonal Coordinator of WAEC, Port Harcourt Office, Mr. Adeniran Amusan, explained that the digitalisation move aims to eliminate examination leakages, improve efficiency, and ensure timely conduct of examinations.
“The CB-WASSCE will eradicate the problem of logistics and late arrival of papers. The computer will also time the students, thereby ensuring fairness and transparency,” Amusan said.
“It’s a hybrid system — the objective questions will be done on the computer, while the essay and practical components will still be written manually on answer booklets.”
Amusan added that the initiative aligns with global best practices and will prepare students for technology-driven learning and assessments in the future.
He assured that students would not be overcharged for the new system, emphasising that the model is faster and more reliable.
“The essence is that students will not be surcharged. It is faster, and there won’t be issues of logistics or late arrival of papers,” he stated.
WAEC urged schools, teachers, parents, and students to embrace the transition as part of efforts to modernise Nigeria’s education sector.
Meanwhile, reactions have been mixed among students. While some praised the initiative as a step toward digital literacy and modernisation, others expressed concerns about their limited exposure to computer use.
Some, however, expressed optimism that the CB-WASSCE will mark a new phase in education reform and help modernise Nigeria’s learning environment.