A server failure during the 2025 UTME disrupted testing centres in Lagos and the South‑East, triggering renewed anxiety over the planned full transition to computer‑based testing (CBT) by 2026.
A server failure during the 2025 UTME disrupted testing centres in Lagos and the South-East, triggering renewed anxiety over the planned full transition to computer-based testing (CBT) by 2026. The glitch coincided with unusually high failure rates in those regions, prompting calls for increased readiness and system reliability.
Education Minister Dr Tunji Alausa reaffirmed plans to migrate WAEC and NECO exams to CBT, starting with objective papers in November 2025 and expanding to include essays by May/June 2026. He noted a national committee is reviewing standards and will report this month.
Stakeholders raised concerns over infrastructure shortfalls, including erratic power, limited internet, and poorly equipped schools. Auwal Musa Rafsanjani of CISLAC warned the shift “intentionally created difficult conditions to prevent students from taking the exam.” He added: “It happens everywhere… It’s a machine, and when not properly prepared… it will malfunction.”
Public affairs analyst Ifeanyi Nwoko recommended using JAMB’s platform as a pilot before extending CBT to WAEC and NECO.