The Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, has said the Federal Government is working towards a complete transition from paper-based examinations to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and other public examinations.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday after monitoring the ongoing Mathematics examination at Government Science Secondary School and Federal Government Boys College, Apo, the minister explained that Nigeria has not yet commenced full CBT for WAEC examinations due to infrastructure challenges in some parts of the country.
According to her, the initial plan was to fully implement CBT for WAEC examinations by 2026, but the government had to reconsider the timeline after discovering that many communities lack adequate computer and internet facilities.
“With the initial plan, we were supposed to go fully CBT in 2026. But when we realised there was a challenge, we found that some communities do not have nearby CBT facilities. It is not going to be possible,” she said.
Professor Said Ahmad noted that the government has begun engaging state governors and making arrangements in federal unity colleges to expand access to the facilities required for computer-based examinations.
She explained that schools selected for CBT examinations are those with functional Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and a sufficient number of computers to accommodate candidates.
The minister described the ongoing exercise as a significant milestone, noting that it was the first time a government-owned school was conducting a CBT examination on such a scale.
“I am happy with what I have seen. For the CBT examination, it is the first time we are doing it in a government school. The students appear comfortable with the process, and those I spoke with reported no difficulties using the computers,” she said.
She added that the Federal Government remains committed to ensuring that all public examinations eventually migrate to the CBT format.
“We are making preparations to ensure that we reach a level where all examinations are conducted through CBT. However, I cannot give a specific timeline because it depends on the level of preparedness. We must make these facilities available before embarking on full CBT examinations,” she stated.
Professor Said Ahmad also disclosed that about two million candidates are currently sitting for the Senior School Certificate Examination across the country.
