The Federal Government has announced a comprehensive set of measures aimed at eliminating examination malpractices from 2026 and beyond.
The measures are designed to address malpractice in examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).
This was disclosed in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Monday by Mrs Folasade Boriowo, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education.
According to Boriowo, the initiative forms part of ongoing reforms to strengthen credibility, transparency, and public confidence in Nigeria’s assessment system.
She quoted the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, as saying that the ministry is intensifying oversight and deploying targeted strategies to safeguard the integrity of national examinations.
Among the key measures, the minister said, is the introduction of enhanced question randomisation and serialisation mechanisms.
Under the new system, all candidates will answer the same examination questions, but 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.
Alausa also reaffirmed the ministry’s strict policy prohibiting the transfer of candidates at the Senior Secondary School Three (SS3) level.
“This directive, already communicated through an official circular, will be rigorously enforced to prevent last-minute school changes often associated with examination malpractices,” he said.
To further ensure transparency, the minister disclosed that new national continuous assessment guidelines have been developed for immediate implementation.
“All examination bodies, including WAEC, NECO and NBAIS, must strictly adhere to standardised submission deadlines for each academic period,” he added.
He explained that submission windows for first-term continuous assessment will be in January, while those for the second and third terms will be in April and August, respectively.
According to him, the timelines are mandatory and designed to ensure consistency, data integrity, and prompt processing of continuous assessment records nationwide.
In addition, Alausa announced the introduction of a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number for all candidates.
The identifier, he said, 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.
He assured stakeholders that examination administration would be conducted under strengthened supervision and coordination with relevant examination bodies to ensure strict compliance with established guidelines and ethical standards.
Alausa 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 realities.
He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to working closely 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.
