NECO’s CBT transition will curb exam malpractice, improve assessment quality, says minister
The federal government says Nigeria’s gradual transition to computer-based testing (CBT) for public examinations is aimed at drastically reducing examination malpractice while improving the credibility and quality of assessment across the country.
Speaking after monitoring the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) senior school certificate Examination (SSCE) at designated CBT centres in Abuja on Tuesday, Suwaiba Ahmad, minister of state for education, said the technology-driven system is already demonstrating its ability to eliminate common forms of cheating.
The minister, who interacted with candidates and examination officials during the visit, said students expressed satisfaction with the CBT format, describing it as easier to use and less stressful than the traditional paper-based examination.
“I am very happy because from what I have seen in the two centres that I visited where they are writing the computer-based examination, the students are happy and the setting for the examination is excellent,” she said.
Ahmad said she specifically asked candidates whether they had access to examination questions before the test—a common concern associated with examination malpractice—but was assured that such opportunities no longer exist under the CBT system.
“The students told me they had not seen the questions before the examination. They also explained that each candidate receives a different arrangement of questions, making it impossible for candidates sitting beside one another to copy answers,” she said.
According to the minister, the randomisation of questions is one of the strongest safeguards built into the CBT platform because it significantly reduces opportunities for candidates to cheat during examinations.
“As far as we want quality education, we must eliminate examination malpractice. To achieve that, I believe the way forward is to move towards computer-based examinations,” she said.
Ahmad also said officials confirmed that the examination had been running smoothly without technical disruptions since the commencement of this year’s CBT exercise.
“I asked whether they experienced any technical challenges in accessing the questions or starting the examination. They assured me that since the commencement of this year’s examination, they have not experienced technical delays. The examinations started on time without network problems or other hiccups,” she said.
She described the smooth conduct of the examination as evidence that government investments in digital examination systems are beginning to produce positive results.
The minister, however, said the federal government would only embark on a full nationwide transition to CBT after ensuring that adequate infrastructure is available across the country.
She acknowledged that only a fraction of candidates currently write their examinations through the CBT platform but assured stakeholders that expansion would be gradual to avoid disadvantaging students.
“We will not begin a complete transition until everything is ready because we do not want to put any student at a disadvantage. We are working closely with all stakeholders, including the National Assembly, state governors and private sector partners, to provide the infrastructure and facilities required for the transition,” she said.
Ahmad added that no deadline has been set for a nationwide rollout until authorities are satisfied that all eligible candidates will have equal access to the required facilities.
One of the candidates, Isaac Gabriel, said the CBT format made the examination process easier and more convenient.
“My experience with the CBT centre has been really nice. It is an easier and better way for us to answer our questions. We have really enjoyed it,” he said.
Gabriel said the computer-based format eliminates the stress of shading answer sheets and enables candidates to complete their examinations more efficiently.
“It saves us the stress of shading, so it is easier for us. We prefer CBT to the paper-based examination,” he added.
The monitoring exercise is part of ongoing efforts by the Federal Ministry of Education and NECO to evaluate the implementation of computer-based examinations as Nigeria modernises its assessment system and intensifies measures to curb examination malpractice.
