WAEC’s CBT Shift Sparks Stakeholders Concern Over School Readiness

As Nigeria gears up to shift the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examinations to a fully computer-based test (CBT) format by 2026, education stakeholders are raising red flags.

Concerns are growing over whether schools, especially in rural areas, are equipped to handle the technological demands of the new system.

WAEC had outlined key requirements for schools ahead of the full CBT rollout, stating that schools must have at least 250 functional laptops with 10 percent backups, a robust server capable of supporting all systems simultaneously, a Local Area Network setup, functional air conditioners and lighting, uninterrupted electricity supply, a 40kVA backup generator, CCTV cameras, and a holding room for candidates.

For the nationwide rollout, Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa said the government plans to shift examinations from school premises to CBT centres to accommodate large number of candidates, saying that thousands of CBT centres used for JAMB’s UTME will be repurposed.

“Those are the centres that we are going to use. Schools do not have the facilities, but we have enough centres and people. We also have to expand the value chain of these CBT centres. They should not just serve JAMB alone,” the Minister quoted saying.

WAEC on its part, said it plans a phased rollout, starting with objective questions before expanding to theory and practical components.

It added that Examination centres are being mapped across all local government areas to reduce travel burdens, with both public school ICT labs and licensed private CBT centres expected to host candidates.

However, education analysts insist that for the transition to succeed, heavy investment is needed in infrastructure, electricity, internet connectivity, teacher training, and regulation of private CBT centres. Without these, they warn, the policy risks becoming another ambitious announcement that fails in execution.

The plan to move WAEC to CBT by 2026, according to them, is ambitious and potentially transformative. If implemented effectively, they said it could modernise Nigeria’s examination system, reduce malpractice, and speed up result releases.

However, without deliberate attention to equity and infrastructure, they said the policy could leave rural and disadvantaged students behind. The promise of digital exams in 2026, for now, remains a race against time.

Speaking, the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja chapter, Dr. Sylvanus Ugoh, raised serious concerns over the Federal Government’s plan to transition the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examinations to a fully computer-based test (CBT) format by 2026.

In an interview with LEADERSHIP, Dr. Ugoh cautioned that the shift could disadvantage students in schools that lack the necessary infrastructure to support such a transition.

He questioned the readiness of schools, particularly those in rural areas, to handle the demands of CBT. “What happens to the schools in rural settings where there are significant infrastructural gaps? Who will support them to get computers and electricity? Is the government going to support these schools?”

Dr. Ugoh stressed that without a robust plan to equip schools with the necessary technology and resources, the move to CBT could deepen educational inequality.

He argued that many students in under-resourced schools may struggle to adapt to a fully digital examination system, potentially affecting their performance and future opportunities.

He also urged the government and relevant stakeholders to conduct a thorough assessment of school readiness and to implement necessary support measures before the 2026 rollout.

Also speaking, an educationist, Isaac Humbe, said the schools in rural communities will be affected most during the first trials.

According to him, the government should better adopt CBT methods only for objective questions while allowing candidates to write the essay parts using pen and paper.

“For courses like mathematics, it will be difficult testing students with essay questions on computer. I think the government needs to test-run it with only objectives and allow the students to use pen and paper methods for the essay part.”