By Kwin Israel, The Sight News
The Federal Government has expressed satisfaction with the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) school-based Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), describing the Computer-Based Test (CBT) format as a significant milestone in the drive to eliminate examination malpractice and improve the quality of education in Nigeria.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, gave the assessment on Wednesday after monitoring the examination at Redeemers Teap International School, Garki II, and Anglican Girls’ Grammar School, Gudu, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Speaking with journalists after the inspection, Prof. Ahmad commended the smooth conduct of the examination, noting that candidates expressed overwhelming satisfaction with the CBT format, citing its ease of use and enhanced examination experience.
“My assessment is that I am very happy. From what I have seen in the two centres I visited, the students are writing the CBT examination comfortably and are happy with the process. The examination environment is excellent,” she said.
The minister revealed that interactions with candidates showed that the majority preferred the computer-based format to the traditional paper-and-pencil method, with only one student indicating she was comfortable with either mode.
She explained that the CBT platform has significantly strengthened the integrity of the examination by randomising questions for each candidate, thereby making cheating virtually impossible.
“I asked the students whether they had seen the questions before the examination because that is one of the major challenges we are addressing through CBT. They all said no. Every candidate receives a different set of questions, meaning even students seated next to one another cannot copy from each other because they are answering different questions,” she stated.
Prof. Ahmad reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding CBT examinations nationwide but stressed that a full transition would only be implemented after adequate infrastructure and facilities have been provided across the country.
“We will not begin the complete transition until everything is in place because we do not want to disadvantage any student. We are working closely with the National Assembly, state governments, private sector partners and other stakeholders to ensure the required infrastructure is available before the nationwide rollout,” she said.
The minister also expressed satisfaction with the technical performance of the examination, disclosing that no cases of network failure or system malfunction had been reported in the centres visited since the commencement of the exercise.
“In the schools I visited, I asked whether there were any technical difficulties in accessing the questions or commencing the examination. They confirmed that there had been no technical glitches. The examinations started on schedule without network disruptions or interruptions,” she added.
According to her, the seamless conduct of the examination demonstrates that the CBT pilot programme, introduced by NECO last year, has recorded remarkable progress and is steadily evolving into a sustainable nationwide model.
She maintained that technology remains the most effective tool for combating examination malpractice and safeguarding the credibility of Nigeria’s examination system.
“As long as we are committed to delivering quality education, we must eliminate examination malpractice. I believe the only sustainable way forward is the adoption of CBT examinations,” she said.
Also speaking, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NECO, Prof. Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi, disclosed that the council expects to release the 2026 SSCE results by the first week of September, or even earlier, owing to the faster processing enabled by the CBT system.
“By the first week of September, or even before then, we should be ready so that candidates can use their results for admission into tertiary institutions,” he said.
Prof. Wushishi revealed that 1,378,048 candidates registered for the 2026 SSCE nationwide, adding that female candidates slightly outnumbered their male counterparts—a trend he attributed to sustained government investment in girl-child education.
He also confirmed that the examination had recorded no technical challenges since commencement and disclosed that about 10 CBT centres in the Federal Capital Territory are currently participating in the exercise.
Meanwhile, the Principal of Anglican Girls’ Grammar School, Gudu, Nkiruka Nwafor, described the transition to CBT as a timely development that would better prepare students for an increasingly digital world.
She said the school had already integrated computer-based assessments into its internal examinations to familiarise students with the technology long before they sit for external examinations.
“The CBT experience is what we have all been looking forward to. The future our students are preparing for is dynamic and technology-driven.
“We are delighted that our proprietor embraced the initiative. We have introduced CBT for some of our internal examinations so that from JS1 and JS2, students become familiar with the system. It is a welcome development, and we are pleased it is happening,” she said.
