The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has recorded more than 56,000 registrations for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for Private Candidates, Second Series, as it intensifies efforts to reduce examination malpractice through computer-based testing.
Also read: NECO to Release 2026 SSCE Results by September
The Head of WAEC’s education/">National Office in Nigeria, Suleiman Kum, disclosed the figure on Saturday during an inspection of the Computer-Based Test (CBT) English Language examination at the council’s Training and Testing Centre on Ijaiye Road, Ogba, Lagos.
Kum said the registrations included approximately 272 walk-in candidates who enrolled to sit for individual subjects to improve their results. career-in-estate-management/">Lagos State accounted for more than 22,000 candidates, including about 50 walk-in candidates.
According to him, the adoption of CBT has helped strengthen examination security, improve transparency and reduce opportunities for malpractice. WAEC introduced computer-based examinations in 2024 and has continued to improve the system as part of its efforts to safeguard the credibility of its examinations.
Kum said candidates were thoroughly searched before entering examination halls to prevent them from bringing unauthorised materials into the centres. He explained that the measures were intended to protect the integrity of the examination rather than create unnecessary difficulties for candidates.
The WAEC official reaffirmed the council’s commitment to adopting innovations that would improve examination administration and maintain public confidence in its assessment process.
He also advised candidates to prepare adequately by studying their subjects, practising past examination questions and reviewing marking schemes. He encouraged them to read chief examiners’ reports, which identify common mistakes, highlight candidates’ strengths and weaknesses, and provide guidance on answering questions effectively.
The 2026 private-candidate examination is part of WAEC’s continuing transition towards computer-based testing. The examination provides an opportunity for candidates who are not currently in secondary school, as well as those seeking to improve their previous results, to obtain the WASSCE qualification.
WAEC said it would continue to strengthen its examination procedures and encourage candidates to follow the rules to ensure a credible and orderly examination process.
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