The Federal Government has announced a significant change in how senior school certificate examinations will be conducted in Nigeria. Beginning with the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examinations, candidates registering for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) will be issued a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number to improve monitoring and curb widespread malpractice.
This reform is part of a broader set of measures unveiled by the Federal Ministry of Education aimed at strengthening the credibility, fairness, and transparency of national exams. The move follows longstanding concerns that irregularities and cheating have undermined the value of public examinations in Nigeria.
What the Unique ID Does
Under the new system, every student taking WAEC, NECO, and other recognised public examinations will receive a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number, a form of digital identification. According to the Ministry, this identifier will be used to:
- Effectively track students throughout all stages of the examination process.
- Strengthen monitoring and prevent impersonation or registration abuse.
- Improve accountability and oversight during the conduct of exams.
- Support long-term reforms in assessment, certification, and education data management.
In essence, the ID will serve as a consistent reference for each candidate from registration through to certification, reducing the possibility of fraud and making it easier for examination bodies to manage records accurately.
Why This Change Matters
For years, public examinations such as WAEC and NECO have been plagued by cheating, question leaks, impersonation, and result forgery. These problems not only affect the integrity of the education system but also disadvantage honest students who work hard for their certificates.
By tying each candidate to a unique identifier, the Federal Government hopes to make it more difficult for exam malpractice to occur, as candidates will be traceable and verifiable across all examination stages.
The system is also expected to enhance data management for education authorities. With clearer records and improved tracking, ministries and examination bodies can analyse performance trends, detect irregularities, and respond faster to suspected fraud.
Other Reforms Being Introduced Alongside the ID
The unique candidate ID is just one of several reforms the government has announced.
1. Enhanced Question Randomisation
Under the new plan, candidates will still answer the same exam questions, but the sequence and order will differ for each student. This means that even if candidates receive identical questions, the different arrangement makes collusion and copying significantly harder during the exam.
2. Stricter Transfer Rules
The Federal Ministry of Education has reaffirmed its ban on student transfers at the Senior Secondary School 3 (SS3) level. Last-minute school changes have historically been linked to malpractice, and this measure seeks to close that loophole.
3. New Continuous Assessment Guidelines
To improve academic monitoring, the government has developed new national guidelines for Continuous Assessment (CA). Schools and examination bodies will be required to submit CA records within fixed windows — January for First Term, April for Second Term, and August for Third Term. This is intended to standardise assessment tracking and reduce data inconsistencies.
Together, these measures aim to bring a more systematic, transparent, and accountable structure to national examinations in Nigeria.
What This Means for Students and Parents
- Better Identification and Tracking:
The unique ID will make it easier for exam bodies and schools to verify a student’s identity and academic record. - Reduced Cheating Opportunities:
With randomised question structures and strict monitoring, cheating in exam halls should become more difficult. - More Reliable Records:
Schools and parents can have greater confidence that results and certificates genuinely reflect individual performance. - Greater Accountability:
Officials, schools, and students will be held to higher standards, reducing misconduct and making disciplinary actions more effective.
Challenges and What to Watch
Although the reforms are designed with good intentions, implementation will be key. Stakeholders including schools, parents, and students will need clear communication on how the unique ID system works, how to register for it, and how it will be used during and after the examinations. Support systems and training for school administrators may also be important to ensure smooth rollout.
Public confidence in the exams will largely depend on how well these systems are executed and whether they actually reduce malpractice when the first cohort writes under the new regime.
What we think
The introduction of a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number for WAEC and NECO candidates represents one of the most substantial changes to Nigeria’s national examination system in recent times. By strengthening candidate tracking, improving accountability, and complementing other anti-malpractice strategies such as question randomisation and Continuous Assessment reforms, the Federal Government is seeking to restore credibility to public examinations.
As students and parents, this means a good move toward a more secure, organised, and transparent examination process starting from the 2026 cycle. If successfully implemented, these reforms could mark a turning point in how senior school certificate examinations are conducted in Nigeria and provide a stronger foundation for confidence in academic assessments.
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