Are paper-and-pen tests officially a thing of the past, or is Nigeria ready to fully embrace WAEC CBT exams? While rumors have been flying about a 100% digital rollout by the end of 2026, the Ministry of Education just delivered a major reality check.
Following a recent inspection of exam centers in Abuja, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmad, clarified the government’s digital roadmap for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
While the ultimate goal is a complete transition to Computer-Based Testing, critical infrastructure gaps mean the government is taking a more cautious approach to protect students.
Here is what the new digital testing strategy means for the 2 million candidates sitting for exams across the country.
Why 2026 Isn’t “Full CBT” Just Yet
If you’ve been following the rumors, the initial blueprint was actually to go 100% digital by this year, 2026.
However, the ministry hit the pause button on a total rollout to ensure no student gets left behind.
The biggest hurdle? Infrastructure.
“With the initial plan, we are supposed to go full CBT in 2026. But when we realized there was a hiccup, we had some communities that didn’t have any nearby CBT facilities within their environment.
It’s not going to be possible,” Professor Ahmad explained.
It’s a fair and grounded reality check. While major cities enjoy solid tech hubs, many rural communities across Nigeria still face severe gaps in computer literacy, hardware availability, and reliable internet access.
Forcing a digital exam on these areas overnight would do more harm than good.
A Historic Milestone for Public Schools
Despite the bumps on the road to a full rollout, history was still made during this exam cycle.
Professor Ahmad highlighted that this session marked the first time a public secondary school conducted a CBT under the WAEC system.
This is a massive proof-of-concept. It shows that the transition isn’t just a pipeline dream for elite private schools; the government is actively working to bring public institution infrastructure up to speed.
The Scale of the Challenge
Transitioning an entire country’s examination format is a logistical mountain to climb. To put the scale of this operation into perspective, look at the sheer volume of students involved:
- Total Candidates: Approximately 2 million students are currently sitting for the Senior School Certificate Examination across Nigeria.
- The Current Strategy: A hybrid approach—phasing in CBT where infrastructure exists, while maintaining paper exams for communities that need more time to catch up.
Stance of the legislature on the WEAC CBT in Nigeria?
Nigerian lawmakers in the National Assembly have raised serious red flags concerning the swift transition to WAEC CBT exams, expressing deep worry that a rushed rollout could lead to a massive educational crisis.
While lawmakers generally agree that digital modernization is the future, both the House of Representatives and the Senate have strongly cautioned the Federal Ministry of Education and WAEC against enforcing it too quickly.
The legislative stance on the matter centers on several key points:
1. The Official Push to Postpone Until 2030
The House of Representatives passed a unanimous resolution ordering the immediate suspension of the full CBT rollout plan. Led by a motion of urgent public importance from Rep. Kelechi Nwogu, lawmakers argued that the system should not be fully implemented before the 2030 academic year.
They noted that a premature migration would be “disastrous” and could trigger widespread failure, frustration, and psychological distress among candidates.
2. Severe Rural Infrastructure Gaps
A primary argument from lawmakers is the stark digital divide in Nigeria. They highlighted that over 70% of WAEC candidates are based in rural and public schools that lack the necessities for a computer-based exam.
- The Power & Tech Problem: Lawmakers pointed out that the majority of the 25,500 schools nationwide do not have functional computer laboratories, reliable internet connectivity, or steady electricity (either from the national grid or standby generators).
- Lack of Manpower: There is a severe shortage of trained ICT teachers in rural communities to prepare students for digital testing environments.
3. WAEC is Much More Complex Than JAMB
Lawmakers countered the argument that “since JAMB successfully uses CBT, WAEC can too.” They explained that, unlike JAMB, which strictly uses multiple-choice questions, WAEC requires candidates to sit for up to nine distinct subjects involving complex theory answers, mathematical calculations, and physical practicals.
They argued that forcing students to navigate these complex formats on a computer without prior training is entirely unrealistic.
4. Demands for Budgetary Allocation Before Implementation
Instead of forcing a policy that schools aren’t ready for, the National Assembly directed the Ministry of Education and state governments to use the interim years to actually build the groundwork.
They mandated that the federal and state budgets must explicitly allocate funds for:
- Constructing standard ICT halls and purchasing computers.
- Installing stable internet facilities and massive backup power sources (like 40kVA generators).
- Recruiting and training qualified computer science teachers nationwide.
5. Proposing a Hybrid “Old and New” Model First
Lawmakers like Senator Victor Umeh and Senator Ekong Sampson have suggested that, rather than a sudden blanket shift, WAEC should adopt a hybrid model. They advised piloting full CBT strictly in urban centers and cities where infrastructure already exists, while allowing rural or under-equipped schools to continue using the traditional pen-and-paper method until the country is fully prepared.
In all, the consensus among lawmakers is clear: while digital testing is necessary to fight exam malpractice and speed up results, rushing the 2026 timeline without fixing Nigeria’s electricity and computer deficits will unfairly disenfranchise millions of students. Progress must be inclusive, not destructive.
When is Nigeria rolling out the WAEC CBT exams?
The rollout of WAEC CBT exams in Nigeria is currently operating on a dual, phased timeline due to a major clash between the Federal Ministry of Education’s ambitious tech targets and structural realities highlighted by the National Assembly.
The implementation breakdown details exactly when different stages are taking effect:
1. Private Candidates (GCE): Fully Transitioned (2024–Present)
If you are writing the WAEC GCE (First Series) as a private candidate, you are already using the CBT platform.
WAEC successfully piloted this in a hybrid format in 2024 and fully deployed it for private candidate exam cycles, including the January/February sessions.
2. Regular School Candidates (May/June WASSCE): The Hybrid Phase (2025–2026)
For the main population of secondary school students, the rollout is currently in a cautious hybrid phase.
- The Original Target: The Ministry of Education initially mandated a massive, 100% full CBT migration (covering both objective and theory/essay questions) across the country.
- The Current Reality: Due to deep infrastructure deficits (lack of computers, shaky power supply, and poor internet) in rural public schools, WAEC had to pivot. For the school certificate exams, the system is being strictly deployed where functional facilities exist. A public secondary school in Abuja made history by using the CBT system for the first time, but millions of students nationwide are still using traditional pen-and-paper for the main exam blocks.
3. The 2030 Mandate for “100% Full Rollout.”
Because more than 70% of regular WAEC exam centers are in rural areas without steady electricity or ICT labs, the House of Representatives intervened and ordered a postponement of the mandatory nationwide rollout until the 2030 academic year.
The government is using the interim years (2026 to 2029) to systematically build out infrastructure, allocate heavy funding in state and federal budgets for 40kVA backup generators, build standard ICT halls, and train teachers before forcing millions of candidates onto computers.
What this means for you right now:
- Private Candidates (GCE): Expect your exams to be computer-based.
- School Candidates (WASSCE): Unless your school is specifically mapped, equipped, and cleared by WAEC as an urban pilot center, you will continue using the traditional pen, paper, and 2B pencil format for the immediate future while the country builds up its digital network.
In conclusion, the pen-and-paper era for WAEC is officially on notice. While we might not see a 100% digital exam hall by the end of 2026, the wheels are firmly in motion.
The government’s decision to slow down and focus on building out local CBT facilities ensures that when the digital shift finally happens, it will be fair, accessible, and seamless for all 2 million+ Nigerian students.
What do you think? Are Nigerian schools ready to completely abandon the 2B pencil and paper, or should we stick to the traditional way a bit longer? Let’s talk in the comments.
RECOMMENDED…..
Beyond the Counter: Inside UBA’s New Innovation Hub at UNILAG
FG Scraps UTME Requirement For NCE Candidates in 2026 Policy Meeting
Secondary School Students Are Getting A.I Tools To Tackle Complex Tasks