The National Examinations Council (NECO) has commenced the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) with a record 1,367,210 candidates nationwide. The examination, which features both Computer-Based Testing (CBT) and the traditional Paper-Pencil Testing (PPT), marks the first time NECO is deploying CBT for SSCE at selected centres across Nigeria.
Out of the total candidates, 685,551 are male and over 681,300 are female. Kano State recorded the highest number of candidates with more than 137,000, while Kebbi State registered the least with just over 5,000. The Nigerian International School in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, had the lowest single-centre turnout, with eight candidates.
The groundbreaking pilot of CBT was monitored at SASCON International School, Maitama, Abuja, by NECO Registrar Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi and Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa. The initiative aligns with the federal directive that all national school examinations, including those by NECO and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), transition to full CBT by 2026.
Prof. Wushishi expressed confidence in NECO’s readiness to adopt CBT despite existing infrastructure challenges. “We are fully prepared as a professional body to conduct exams through any medium. While some regions may lack adequate facilities, we’re calling on state governments to expedite the development of CBT infrastructure,” he said.
The Education Minister emphasized the advantages of the CBT model, particularly its potential to curb examination malpractice and enhance the global recognition of Nigerian certificates. Alausa stated that NECO’s pilot demonstrated clear capacity and commitment to reform.
“This is a transformational step,” Alausa said. “We’re not only improving exam integrity but expanding economic opportunities through the utilization of existing CBT centres nationwide.”
He further explained that the shift would require candidates to take exams outside their schools, mirroring the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) model. Thousands of private CBT centres across Nigeria would be integrated into the new system, creating jobs and supporting local tech entrepreneurship.
“By November, all NECO and WAEC objective questions will be fully CBT-based. By 2026, both objective and essay components will be conducted via CBT,” Alausa confirmed, adding that this transition would place NECO and WAEC on par with JAMB in terms of examination delivery.
The minister praised NECO’s leadership for implementing the pilot successfully, calling it a critical milestone in Nigeria’s broader education reform agenda under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
