The Federal Government has directed the West African Examinations Council and the National Examinations Council  to fully transition to Computer-Based Testing by 2026.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa,  gave the directive during a visit to several centres hosting the ongoing 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination  in Abuja on Monday, where he commended the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board for its high level of coordination, transparency, and integrity.

According to him, WAEC and NECO must begin conducting their objective tests via CBT by November 2025, with full implementation, including essay components, expected by the May/June 2026 examination season.

“If JAMB can successfully conduct CBT exams for over 2.2 million candidates nationwide, WAEC and NECO, which handle slightly fewer numbers, should be able to replicate the same feat without difficulty,” the minister said.

He also praised JAMB’s examination process, saying it meets international standards and is almost foolproof against malpractice.

Meanwhile, JAMB has revealed that over 41,000 underage candidates are among the 2.03 million candidates registered for the ongoing UTME.

The information was obtained from the board’s live registration dashboard.

Although underage candidates are allowed to sit the UTME, they are generally not eligible for admission into tertiary institutions, as the official admission age is 18. Only exceptional candidates aged 16 and above can be considered.