The Nation Newspaper

Tag: The National Examinations Council (NECO)

  • Govt to WAEC, NECO: adopt full CBT mode by 2026

    Govt to WAEC, NECO: adopt full CBT mode by 2026

    The Federal Government has urged the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to adopt full Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for all their examinations by 2026.

    Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made this known yesterday, during the monitoring of the on-going Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination, alongside JAMB officials, in Bwari, Abuja.

    More than two million candidates registered for the on-going examination in more than 800 centres across the country.

    Alausa revealed that both WAEC and NECO would start administering their objective papers via CBT, effective this November.

    According to him, the full adoption of CBT for the essay and objective components would commence by May or June 2026.

    “If JAMB can successfully conduct CBT exams for more than 2.2 million candidates, WAEC and NECO can do the same. We are going to get WAEC and NECO to also start their objective exam on CBT.

    “By 2026 exams, which will come up in May/June, both the objectives and the essay will be fully on CBT. That is how we can eliminate exam malpractices.”

    Alausa also disclosed that a committee is currently reviewing examination standards nationwide, with recommendations expected next month.

    Earlier, the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, while speaking on the early schedule of the exams, clarified that the board’s UTME exams had always begun at 8:00 a.m.

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    Oloyede said candidates were only expected to be on the ground by 6:30 a.m. to enable them get accredited before the exams.

    He dismissed complaints about early arrival times, noting that it was necessary to screen candidates before exams began.

    “We have always started our exams at 8 o’clock. The first session is 8 o’clock, the second session is 10:30, the third session is 1 p.m., and the fourth session is 3:30 p.m.

    Oloyede also debunked claims of candidates being posted to centres they did not choose, stating that investigations showed no such cases had happened.

    He confirmed that more than 1.6 million out of 2.03 million registered candidates had completed their exams, with about 50,000 remaining.

    The Registrar further revealed that more than 40 candidates had been arrested for malpractice, including impersonation and attempting to smuggle out exam questions with hidden cameras.

    He added that of the registered candidates, more than 41,000 were underage.

  • NECO launches scanner to boost operations

    NECO launches scanner to boost operations

    The National Examinations Council (NECO) has acquired a high performance Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) scanner to enhance the efficiency, credibility and security of its examinations.

    Its Registrar/Chief Executive, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, broke the news during the inauguration of the newly installed scanning machine at the ICT Department yesterday in Minna, the Niger State capital.

    In a statement by the council’s acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, said Wushishi announced that the acquisition was part of NECO’s efforts to improve accuracy, speed and reliability in its examination process.

    The registrar described the scantron Insight 1500c as a high performance OMR scanner known for its precision, speed and ability to handle large volumes of scripts efficiently.

    “With this new addition, we will significantly enhance our data processing capabilities, ensuring faster and more accurate results processing for millions of candidates across the world,” Wushishi said.

    According to him, the newly acquired scanner has the capability to scan over 15,000 OMR sheets per hour and 250 per minute.

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    The registrar explained that the scanning machine, which cost about N500 million, has the capacity to simultaneously scan and score OMR sheets.

    He added that the acquisition of the high-speed scanner is a testament to NECO’s commitment to leveraging technology in all its examination processes.

    The council’s Director ICT Department, Mr. Goddy Usioboh, said the acquisition of the new scanner aligned with NECO’s vision of delivering world-class examination services while maintaining the integrity of its assessment.

    The Technical Adviser from Scantron Company in Minnesota, U.S.A, Mr. Tom Harry, who trained NECO’s ICT Department workers on the operations of the new scanning machine, expressed satisfaction with the workers’ high level of dedication and diligence during the training.