WAEC and NECO 2026: Federal Government Introduces New Measures to Stop Examination Malpractice

The Federal Government has unveiled comprehensive new measures aimed at curbing examination malpractice in the West African Examinations Council and National Examinations Council examinations, as part of ongoing reforms to strengthen the credibility and integrity of Nigeria’s education system.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, alongside the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Said Ahmed. According to the Ministry of Education, the measures are designed to enhance transparency, improve public confidence, and align Nigeria’s examination processes with global best practices.

The ministry disclosed that it is intensifying oversight and deploying targeted strategies to safeguard the conduct of national examinations. One of the major reforms introduced is an advanced question randomisation and serialisation system. While all candidates will answer the same questions, the order and arrangement of questions will vary for each candidate, ensuring that every examination paper is unique and significantly reducing opportunities for collusion and cheating.

In addition, the Federal Government has reaffirmed its strict policy prohibiting the transfer of candidates at the Senior Secondary School Three level. The ministry stated that this directive, already communicated through an official circular, will now be rigorously enforced nationwide to prevent last-minute school changes commonly associated with examination malpractice.

To further improve transparency and accountability, the Ministry of Education has introduced new national guidelines for Continuous Assessment with immediate effect. All examination bodies, including WAEC, NECO, and other recognized assessment agencies, are required to comply strictly with standardized submission timelines for continuous assessment records.

Under the new framework, first-term Continuous Assessment submissions must be completed in January, second-term submissions in April, and third-term submissions in August. The ministry emphasized that these timelines are mandatory and designed to ensure consistency, data accuracy, and timely processing of assessment records across all states.

As part of broader reforms, the Federal Government is also introducing a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number for all candidates. This identifier will enable effective tracking of students throughout the examination process, strengthen monitoring and accountability, and support long-term improvements in assessment, certification, and educational data management.

The ministers assured stakeholders that examination administration in 2026 will be conducted under strengthened supervision and closer coordination with relevant examination bodies to ensure full compliance with established guidelines and ethical standards.

They emphasized that the new measures reflect the Federal Government’s commitment to conducting examinations that are fair, credible, and reflective of international standards, while addressing Nigeria’s unique educational challenges.

The Ministry of Education reaffirmed its readiness to work closely with examination bodies, state governments, school administrators, parents, and candidates to ensure the successful implementation of these reforms and the smooth conduct of WAEC, NECO, and other national examinations across the country in 2026.