The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced a major set of reforms designed to reduce and ultimately eliminate examination malpractice in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) tests beginning with the 2026 cycle. The measures, unveiled in an official press release by the Federal Ministry of Education, are part of a broader drive to restore credibility, fairness, and public confidence in the country’s national examinations, which have long been dogged by cheating, leaks, and organised fraud.
Education Minister Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa and Minister of State for Education Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmed laid out the reforms, which mark one of the most comprehensive attempts by the government to reform how senior school assessments are conducted nationwide. While Nigeria’s examination bodies have taken steps in recent years to curb malpractice, government officials say more robust systems are now essential to protect the integrity of certificates used for employment, admission, and professional qualification.
Among the most significant of the reforms is improved question randomisation and serialisation. Under this system, although all candidates will be tested on the same set of questions, the order and arrangement of those questions will vary for each student. This means that no two students will face the exact same layout in the same sequence, making it far more difficult for candidates to engage in copying or collusion during exams.
Another substantial change is the introduction of a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number for every candidate. This identifier will be used to monitor students throughout the testing process and strengthen tracking, accountability, and data integrity, especially when results and certificates are issued. The Ministry believes this system will help prevent impersonation and other fraudulent activities, which frequently arise when identities are unclear or easily swapped between examinees.
A new national Continuous Assessment (CA) guideline has also been approved, which standardises when student assessment records must be submitted by schools and examination bodies. Under the new timeline, First Term CA records must be submitted in January, Second Term in April, and Third Term in August, across all participating bodies, including WAEC, NECO, and the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS). This is intended to ensure consistent reporting and reduce manipulation of internal assessment scores.
The government has additionally renewed its ban on the transfer of Senior Secondary School 3 (SS3) candidates between schools close to exam dates, a move aimed at closing a loophole that has often been exploited to gain unfair advantages during examinations.
Officials say that all examination bodies must strictly comply with these guidelines, and that supervision and coordination between agencies will be intensified to ensure enforcement. According to the Ministry, these reforms reflect “the Federal Government’s resolve to conduct examinations that are credible, fair, and aligned with global best practices, while addressing Nigeria’s educational realities.”
While these changes are expected to strengthen Nigeria’s examination framework, challenges remain. Critics have warned that shifting to new systems, particularly Computer-Based Testing (CBT) will require significant investment in infrastructure, training, and reliable power across the country. Others note that efforts must also address the deep social pressures driving students to cheat in the first place.
Widespread exam malpractice has economic consequences, as unreliable credentials undermine workforce quality, deter investors, and inflate recruitment costs. By strengthening exam integrity, Nigeria aims to boost human capital value, enhance labour market efficiency, and reduce the long-term financial burden of skills gaps on employers and the broader economy.
In all, the federal reforms mark a significant shift in Nigeria’s approach to tackling systemic academic dishonesty, one that officials hope will restore trust in national examinations and strengthen the foundations of the country’s education system for generations to come.
