The Federal Government has unveiled a comprehensive set of measures aimed at curbing examination malpractice in the 2026 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations, as part of ongoing reforms to strengthen the credibility and transparency of Nigeria’s assessment system.

The announcement was made on Monday in Abuja by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, who said the Federal Ministry of Education is intensifying oversight and deploying targeted strategies to safeguard the integrity of national examinations.

A major feature of the reforms is the introduction of enhanced question randomisation and serialisation. Under the new system, candidates will answer the same questions, but the sequence and arrangement will differ for each candidate, ensuring that every student writes a unique version of the examination and significantly reducing opportunities for collusion.

The ministry also reiterated its strict ban on the transfer of candidates at the Senior Secondary School Three (SS3) level, stressing that the directive, already issued through an official circular, would be strictly enforced.
According to the minister, “The measure is aimed at curbing last-minute school changes often linked to examination malpractice.”

To further promote transparency, the ministry has introduced new national guidelines for continuous assessment (CA), which take immediate effect. All examination bodies, including WAEC, NECO and the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS), are required to adhere strictly to standardised submission timelines.

Under the new framework, first-term continuous assessment records must be submitted in January, second-term records in April and third-term records in August.

The timelines are mandatory to ensure consistency, data integrity and timely processing nationwide.

In addition, the Federal Government is introducing a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number for all candidates.
According to a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations of the ministry, Boriowo Folasade, the identifier will enhance learner tracking throughout the examination process, strengthen monitoring and accountability, and support long-term reforms in assessment, certification and data management.

The minister assured stakeholders that examination administration would be conducted under strengthened supervision and in close coordination with relevant examination bodies to ensure full compliance with established guidelines and ethical standards.

Alausa emphasised that the measures underscore the Federal Government’s commitment to conducting examinations that are credible, fair and aligned with global best practices, while also addressing Nigeria’s specific educational challenges.

The ministry reaffirmed its resolve to work closely with examination bodies, state governments, school administrators, parents and candidates to ensure effective implementation of the new strategies and the smooth conduct of the 2026 examinations across the country.