The West African Examinations Council said nearly two million candidates are taking part in the 2026 Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination across Nigeria and neighboring countries. Head of the Nigeria National Office, Dr. Amos Josiah Dangut, confirmed this at a briefing in Yaba, Lagos, noting that WAEC is fully set to complete the remaining papers despite security and logistical challenges in some areas. The exam began on 21 April with practicals and will run until 19 June.
A total of 1,959,636 candidates from 24,207 schools registered for the exam, with female candidates slightly outnumbering males at 1,001,072 to 958,564. Candidates are being tested in 37 subjects across 97 papers, supervised by about 29,000 senior secondary teachers nominated by state ministries of education. Dangut said the rise in computer-based entries followed the successful debut of the format in 2025, with more schools and offshore institutions adopting it for its efficiency and alignment with global standards.
To uphold integrity, WAEC has continued serializing question papers and integrated the National Identification Number into registration in line with federal directives. The council said it is working with the police, other security agencies, and state governments to ensure smooth conduct and curb malpractice, warning that offenders face sanctions. WAEC also highlighted digital services like its Digital Certificate platform, WAEC Verify, and chatbot support, and said results would be out 45 days after the final paper, with certificates printed within 90 days and available online.
