Education

WAEC 2026: 5 Things That Will Likely Happen When Nigeria Dumps Paper For CBT

For decades, WAEC in Nigeria has meant the same thing: stacks of answer booklets, leaking pens, sweaty palms, and invigilators who act like mini-generals in khaki. Students learned to pray for “expo” and steady handwriting rather than internet speed. The exam hall was more about survival than technology.

But that era is about to vanish. By 2026, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) will bury paper and pen forever, replacing them with Computer-Based Tests (CBT). The Federal Government and National Assembly have already endorsed the move, calling it a step into the digital future.

Speaking at a sensitisation meeting with lawmakers and stakeholders in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa, said the nationwide adoption of CBT would strengthen Nigeria’s student assessment system and transform the education sector.

“We have undertaken to migrate public examinations to computer-based technology as a deliberate step to secure the integrity of our education system. While some initially opposed this transition, we knew that business as usual could no longer suffice,” Alausa said.

On paper, it sounds like progress. In reality, it feels like pushing millions of students into a digital battlefield they may not be trained for. If JAMB’s CBT transition was chaotic, WAEC’s own promises to be a full-blown national experiment. And in Nigeria, experiments are rarely smooth.

So, what will really happen when WAEC switches to full CBT in 2026? Here are five predictions:

1. Cybercafés Will Become the New Exam Halls

By 2026, cybercafé owners will suddenly become the new kings of education. Every corner shop with 20 computers and a noisy generator will brand itself “WAEC-ready.” Parents will rush to book seats like they’re booking airline tickets. Prices will shoot up, and by exam season, cybercafés might look like airports, except instead of passports, students will be holding exam slips.

2. Expo Will Go Digital

Let’s not deceive ourselves, exam malpractice is not going to die. It’s just going to upgrade. Instead of tiny notes hidden inside socks, we’ll now hear of “WAEC CBT hack apps,” Bluetooth connections, and Telegram groups promising “live server access.” In fact, some students might still pray less about exam questions and more about whether their cheat app won’t crash mid-test.

Welcome to Nigeria.

3. Typing Lessons Will Replace Handwriting Practice

Remember when teachers shouted “write legibly or you will fail”? By 2026, it’ll be “type fast or you’ll run out of time.”

Parents who once forced kids to practice longhand essays will now pay computer tutors to boost typing speed. Slow typists could be punished, not by the marking scheme, but by the clock. In other words, your ability to press “Shift + Spacebar” quickly might matter as much as knowing the quadratic formula.

4. Power Supply Will Decide Students’ Fate

This is Nigeria. Light can disappear in the middle of a football match, so why not during WAEC?

Imagine the chaos if the electricity goes off mid-exam: scores frozen, systems crashed, and futures on hold. Backup power will become the single most important exam requirement.

Schools may start advertising: “We guarantee 24/7 solar-powered CBT exams!” while desperate parents may buy mini-generators just to ensure Junior’s screen doesn’t go black during English Paper 1.

5. The Urban-Rural Divide Will Explode

This is perhaps the biggest danger. In cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, students will adapt fast. They’ve seen computers, typed on keyboards, and surfed TikTok.

But in rural villages, where some children still struggle to find chalk, CBT could feel like punishment. How do you tell a student who has never touched a mouse to suddenly type an essay under exam tension? Unless WAEC invests heavily in digital training and infrastructure, CBT could deepen Nigeria’s education inequality.

Progress Or Punishment?

CBT may look like the future, but the real question is; whose future? For elites, it’s progress. Their children already attend private schools with ICT labs and MacBooks. For the poor, it’s a nightmare waiting to happen. Unless the government bridges this digital divide, the 2026 reform might create more victims than victors.

WAEC says CBT will reduce malpractice and speed up results. That’s true. But it could also throw students into chaos if the basics—electricity, internet, training—aren’t in place. In Nigeria, the gap between idea and reality is as wide as the gap between “NEPA has taken light” and “up NEPA.”

But as Nigeria prepares for this bold leap, one question hangs in the air: are we truly ready, or are we about to write another chapter in the book of unprepared reforms?

One thing is sure, come 2026, WAEC won’t just test students. It will test Nigeria itself.