The National Examinations Council (NECO) has expressed confidence in transitioning fully to computer-based testing (CBT) for its Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) following the successful conduct of this year’s examination without technical disruptions.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, gave the assurance on Wednesday while monitoring the ongoing CBT Senior School Certificate Examination at Redeemers Teap School and Anglican Girls’ Grammar School in Abuja.
She described the smooth conduct of the examination as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s education sector and said the adoption of computer-based testing would play a major role in eliminating examination malpractice.
According to the minister, feedback from candidates at both examination centres showed that many students preferred the CBT format to the traditional paper-based examination.
She said candidates confirmed that the examinations started on schedule without technical difficulties and that each student received a different set of questions through the system’s randomisation process.
Ahmad explained that the use of computer-based testing makes communication between candidates virtually impossible during examinations, thereby strengthening the credibility and integrity of the assessment process.
She, however, stressed that the Federal Government would only proceed with a nationwide transition to CBT after ensuring that the necessary infrastructure is available across the country.
According to her, the government is working closely with the National Assembly, state governments, private sector partners and other stakeholders to provide the facilities required for a seamless implementation nationwide.
The minister noted that the successful adoption of CBT would improve the quality of education by promoting merit, fairness and transparency in public examinations.
Also speaking, the Registrar of NECO, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, disclosed that the council had recorded no technical glitches since the commencement of this year’s Senior School Certificate Examination.
He said reports from examination centres indicated that the tests started on time and proceeded smoothly without network failures or operational disruptions.
Wushishi revealed that 1,378,048 candidates registered for the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination, with female candidates slightly outnumbering their male counterparts.
He attributed the increasing participation of girls to sustained government policies aimed at promoting girl-child education across the country.
The NECO Registrar further disclosed that the council currently operates about 10 CBT centres within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
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He added that the examination results are expected to be released by the first week of September, allowing candidates adequate time to participate in the 2026 admission process.
Wushishi reaffirmed that the randomisation of examination questions under the CBT system has significantly reduced opportunities for examination malpractice while enhancing the overall credibility and transparency of NECO examinations.
The successful conduct of the computer-based examination marks another step in Nigeria’s efforts to modernise its education system through technology-driven assessment methods designed to improve efficiency, fairness and public confidence.
