The Federal Government has unveiled a comprehensive set of measures aimed at eliminating examination malpractice in national examinations from 2026 onward.
The new policies, which will apply to examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO) and other examination bodies, are part of ongoing reforms to strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s assessment system.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by Folasade Boriowo, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education.
According to the statement, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the government was intensifying oversight and deploying targeted strategies to safeguard the integrity of national examinations.
One of the key measures is the introduction of enhanced question randomisation and serialisation. While all candidates will answer the same questions, the sequence and arrangement will differ for each candidate, ensuring that every student writes a unique version of the examination and significantly reducing opportunities for collusion.
Dr Alausa also reaffirmed the ministry’s strict ban on the transfer of candidates at the Senior Secondary School Three (SS3) level, noting that the 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 minister said new national guidelines for continuous assessment have been developed for immediate implementation. All examination bodies, including WAEC, NECO and NBAIS, are required to strictly adhere to standardised submission deadlines.
Under the new framework, first-term continuous assessment scores must be submitted in January, while second- and third-term submissions are scheduled for April and August respectively. The timelines, he explained, are mandatory and designed to ensure consistency, data integrity and timely processing nationwide.
In addition, the ministry is introducing a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number for all candidates. The identifier will enable effective tracking throughout the examination process, strengthen monitoring and accountability, and support long-term reforms in assessment, certification and data management.
Dr Alausa assured stakeholders that examinations would be conducted under strengthened supervision and in close coordination with examination bodies to ensure strict compliance with ethical and operational guidelines.
He said the 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 challenges.
The minister reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to working with examination bodies, state governments, school administrators, parents and candidates to ensure the successful implementation of the reforms and the smooth conduct of the 2026 examinations nationwide.
NAN