WAEC records 56,000 registrations for 2026 private WASSCE, says CBT reduces malpractice

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) says no fewer than 56,000 candidates registered for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for Private Candidates, Second Series.

The Head of WAEC’s National Office, Suleiman Kum, disclosed this on Saturday during an inspection of the Computer-Based Test (CBT) English Language examination in Lagos.

The inspection took place at the WAEC Training and Testing Centre on Ijaiye Road, Ogba, where candidates sat for the examination.

Kum said the registrations included about 272 walk-in candidates who registered to sit for individual subjects.

He added that Lagos State accounted for more than 22,000 candidates, including about 50 walk-in candidates.

WAEC says CBT reduces examination malpractice

Kum said the adoption of computer-based testing was helping to reduce examination malpractice, strengthen the credibility of examinations and promote transparency.

He said WAEC introduced CBT in 2024 and has continued to improve the process to reduce malpractice.

• “We have discovered that Computer-Based Test, popularly known as CBT, is truly the best way to conduct examinations because malpractice is drastically reduced,” Kum said.

He added that candidates were searched before entering examination halls to prevent them from bringing in prohibited materials.

• “We do not set traps for candidates; we want to prevent malpractice by ensuring they enter the examination hall without unauthorised materials,” he said.
• “WAEC will continue to improve to ensure that it remains the benchmark for examination integrity and innovation in Nigeria,” Kum added.

WAEC advises candidates on examination preparation

Kum advised candidates to study diligently, practise past WAEC questions and marking schemes, and read chief examiners’ reports to improve their performance.

He said the reports highlight candidates’ strengths and weaknesses and explain how questions should be answered.

• “The chief examiners’ reports show candidates’ weaknesses, strengths and how they should answer questions, which can greatly improve their performance,” he said.

What you should know

The registration announcement comes amid a leadership transition at WAEC, following changes to two key positions within the council.

WAEC appointed Suleiman Kum as the new Head of its Nigeria National Office in October 2026, following the appointment of his predecessor, Amos Dangut, as the council’s Registrar and Chief Executive Officer for a five-year term.

• Nairametrics reported that Kum joined the council in 1998 and held several roles in examination administration and security before his appointment.

Dangut’s appointment as Registrar and CEO took effect on October 1, 2026, for a five-year term ending in September 2031. He previously served as Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office from October 2023.

Nairametrics reported that he oversaw initiatives including computer-based WASSCE, serialised question papers and a digital electronic marking system.