CBT for WAEC and NECO: A bold leap or a risky gamble? by Folaranmi Ajayi

Editor's note: In this piece, Folaranmi Ajayi, an pedagogue and argumentation writer, critiques the national government’s program to present Computer-Based Testing for WAEC and NECO, urging a cautious and inclusive rollout to forestall widening the integer and acquisition divide.

A fewer days ago, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, made an important announcement. By November 2025, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) volition statesman utilizing Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for their nonsubjective exams. By the May oregon June 2026 exam period, some the nonsubjective and written parts of the exams are expected to beryllium done afloat connected computers.

Educator Ajayi questions CBT program for WAEC and NECO amid infrastructure concerns. Photo credit: @waecnigeria, @Naija_PR, @yabaleftonline
Source: Twitter

This program is bold and shows that the authorities wants to modernise however exams are conducted. It besides shows an effort to trim exam cheating, velocity up the marking process, and marque things much efficient. It is simply a measurement successful the close direction, particularly arsenic the satellite continues to spell digital. But arsenic a teacher who works with students from antithetic backgrounds, I judge we request to dilatory down and deliberation carefully.

Many radical often notation to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) arsenic a bully illustration of CBT success. JAMB has so made progress. Its exams are present faster to mark, and determination is little country for cheating. However, it is important to recognize that JAMB is rather antithetic from WAEC and NECO. JAMB exams usually instrumentality spot successful 1 sitting and absorption chiefly connected multiple-choice questions. WAEC and NECO, connected the different hand, screen galore subjects and see some effort and applicable questions. This makes the exams much analyzable to negociate connected computers.

From my experience, galore students are inactive struggling with integer skills, and determination are galore unresolved challenges with JAMB CBT, particularly this year’s exam, specified arsenic strategy failure, incomplete questions, questions without diagrams, and incomplete options. Some students are tense erstwhile taking JAMB CBT exams due to the fact that they are not utilized to utilizing a computer. Others look problems similar mediocre electricity, breached machine systems, and a deficiency of internet, particularly successful agrarian areas. If WAEC and NECO are going to determination to CBT, we indispensable ask: are the students truly ready? Many students crossed the state bash not person the accidental to signifier with computers regularly, and this volition apt impact their show successful the exams.

Also, are the exam bodies ready? Switching to CBT is not conscionable astir providing computers. It volition necessitate due grooming for exam officials, updates to systems, and beardown readying to forestall cheating and strategy errors. The exam process indispensable beryllium afloat unafraid to guarantee that the integrity of the results is not compromised. This volition request concern in technology, infrastructure, and manpower, each of which are presently lacking.

It is besides important to deliberation astir fairness. What astir students with disabilities oregon those who bash not person entree to computers? How volition the caller strategy enactment them? These are existent questions that indispensable beryllium answered earlier moving forward. Ensuring adjacent entree and fairness is essential, particularly erstwhile considering that immoderate students successful agrarian areas whitethorn person constricted oregon nary entree to computers astatine all.

To get this right, the Ministry of Education, authorities governments, schoolhouse owners, and backstage organisations indispensable enactment together. They request to:

• Build and amended machine labs successful schools, particularly successful agrarian areas.
• Train some students and teachers connected however to usage computers confidently.
• Try CBT for a fewer subjects successful selected schools earlier going nationwide.
• Ensure examiners and invigilators cognize however to grip CBT.
• Plan for students with peculiar needs truthful that nary 1 is near out.

"We’re not acceptable yet," Ajayi warns that 2026 WAEC/NECO CBT rollout could permission agrarian students behind. Photo credit: Karen Kasmauski, NickyLloyd
Source: Getty Images

We should not unreserved into afloat CBT. Technology tin beryllium bully for education, but it indispensable beryllium introduced successful a mode that helps each learners, not conscionable the fortunate few. The extremity is good. Making our exams much modern is thing we should each support. But we indispensable inquire the close questions: Are the students assured with computers? Are teachers progressive successful the plan? Will it beryllium just for each children, nary substance wherever they unrecorded oregon what challenges they face?

If we instrumentality our time, program well, and see everyone, this thought can work. But if we rush, we whitethorn origin much problems than we solve. Let america modernise, yes, but fto america bash it successful a mode that is fair, thoughtful, and adjuvant to each kid successful the country.

Globally, respective countries person adopted Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for some nonsubjective and effort components, though astir person done truthful gradually. In the United States, exams similar the GRE and TOEFL are afloat computer-based and see essays, supported by robust integer infrastructure and years of preparation. The United Kingdom uses CBT for circumstantial tests, specified arsenic the driving mentation exam and connection proficiency tests similar IELTS, but nationalist schoolhouse exams similar GCSEs stay mostly paper-based. In countries similar Estonia and Finland, integer assessments person been introduced astatine the schoolhouse level, including open-ended responses, but they inactive supply insubstantial options to guarantee inclusion. India has embraced CBT for high-stakes assemblage entranceway exams specified arsenic JEE and NEET, though effort sections stay mostly traditional, and integer enlargement is constricted to municipality areas.

Compared to these countries, the program to follow CBT for WAEC and NECO by 2026 is some bold and ambitious. While different nations person taken a phased and infrastructure-led approach, Nigeria faces challenges specified arsenic inconsistent electricity, constricted entree to devices, and integer literacy gaps, particularly successful agrarian areas. Unlike JAMB, which lone tests nonsubjective questions successful 1 sitting, WAEC and NECO are multi-subject, multi-format exams requiring much analyzable systems to negociate mentation and applicable components. To lucifer planetary champion practices, Nigeria indispensable prioritise inclusive training, infrastructure investment, and phased implementation to guarantee that nary pupil is near down successful the integer transition.

The experiences of countries similar the United States, the United Kingdom, and India connection important lessons. These countries person invested successful robust infrastructure, teacher training, and phased implementation earlier rolling retired CBT astatine scale. Their careful, measured approaches allowed for clip to code method challenges, fairness, and entree issues. If Nigeria hopes to win with CBT for WAEC and NECO, it indispensable instrumentality a akin approach: ensuring each students person entree to the indispensable tools, training, and resources earlier making specified a important change. The authorities indispensable besides guarantee that the modulation is inclusive, with peculiar provisions for students with disabilities and those successful agrarian areas who whitethorn not person regular entree to computers.

In conclusion, portion the determination to modernise the introspection strategy utilizing CBT is simply a commendable step, it is important that the authorities moves guardant with caution. The program indispensable beryllium executed with attraction to guarantee that each students, careless of their determination oregon socio-economic background, are afloat equipped for this transition. With cautious planning, concern successful infrastructure, and inclusive training, the displacement to CBT could beryllium a affirmative alteration for the country’s acquisition system. However, if rushed, it could make much problems than it solves, leaving galore students behind. Let america modernise, but fto america bash truthful thoughtfully and inclusively.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed present are those of the writer and bash not needfully bespeak the authoritative argumentation oregon presumption of Legit.ng.

Folaranmi Ajayi is an educator, journalist, and acquisition argumentation writer passionate astir transforming Nigeria’s acquisition sector.

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