The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced a delay in the full implementation of its Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.

The full transition has been moved from the previously directed date of 2026 to 2027.

However, the May/June 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will serve as a significant test run. During this pilot phase, students will have the option to sit for their papers using either the new CBT format or the traditional paper-and-pen method.

This adjustment was shared by Hajia Binta Abdulkadir, the Chairman of the Nigeria National Committee (NNC) of WAEC and the Federal Government’s Nominee, at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the NNC.

The NNC, which is the highest decision-making body for WAEC in Nigeria, is aware of the concerns raised among stakeholders regarding the government's directive for examination bodies to fully migrate to CBT by 2026.

“I want to assure that no candidate sitting the 2026 WASSCE will be disenfranchised in any form,” Hajia Abdukadir stressed.

She detailed some of WAEC’s recent preparation efforts for the smooth transition to full CBT, including training senior school students on a pilot test involving the use of tablets and digital pens to respond to essay questions on a computer.

Speaking on the recent review of the Basic and Secondary School Curricula, the WAEC Chairman assured that candidates would not be restricted from registering for subjects across different elective fields.

Specifically, she confirmed: "Science students are not barred from taking Economics as an elective to complete their subject selection."

Additionally, the period for uploading Continuous Assessment Scores (CASS) has been extended. This is to ensure accurate capturing of CASS for all candidates, including those who must take new subjects in line with the Federal Government’s approved list for the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2026.