The Federal Government has applauded the seamless conduct of the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) school-based Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), describing the Computer-Based Test (CBT) system as a major step towards curbing examination malpractice and strengthening the quality of education across the country.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, made the remarks on Wednesday after inspecting the examination at Redeemers Teap International School, Garki II, and Anglican Girls’ Grammar School, Gudu, in Abuja.
Speaking after interacting with candidates, the minister said students expressed satisfaction with the CBT process, noting that the examination environment was well-organised and the technology was easy to use.
She explained that feedback from candidates indicated a strong preference for the computer-based format over the conventional paper-and-pencil examination. According to her, the digital system not only improves the examination experience but also makes cheating far more difficult because questions are automatically randomised, ensuring that each candidate receives a different set of questions.
Prof. Ahmad reaffirmed the Federal Government's determination to extend CBT examinations across the country. However, she stressed that a nationwide rollout would only take place after the required infrastructure had been fully provided to ensure that every student has equal access to the system.
She disclosed that the government is collaborating with the National Assembly, state governments, private sector partners and other stakeholders to put the necessary facilities in place for a smooth nationwide implementation.
The minister also praised the technical performance of the exercise, revealing that no incidents of network disruption or system failure had been recorded since the examination commenced. She added that the successful conduct of this year's exercise reflects the progress made since the pilot CBT programme was introduced last year.
Prof. Ahmad maintained that adopting computer-based examinations remains one of the most effective strategies for tackling examination malpractice, as candidates can only access their individual questions during the examination, making collaboration and other forms of cheating virtually impossible.
NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi, announced that the council expects to release the 2026 SSCE results by the first week of September, or even earlier, owing to the faster processing made possible by the CBT platform.
He revealed that a total of 1,378,048 candidates registered for the examination nationwide, with female candidates slightly outnumbering their male counterparts, a development he attributed to sustained government investment in promoting girl-child education.
Wushishi further confirmed that the examination has proceeded without any technical challenges since its commencement, adding that Abuja currently has about 10 CBT centres participating in the exercise.
The Principal of Anglican Girls' Grammar School, Mrs. Nkiruka Nwafor, also welcomed the introduction of CBT, describing it as a positive development that equips students with the digital skills required in today's technology-driven world.
She noted that the school had already begun using computer-based testing for some of its internal examinations to prepare students for digital external assessments.
DIP CONNECT ONLINE NEWS reports that the successful implementation of the CBT examination marks another significant milestone in the Federal Government's drive to modernise Nigeria's examination system while promoting transparency, efficiency and integrity in the education sector.
Adeniji Samuel
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