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, national office (HNO), WAEC, Suleiman Kum, disclosed this during an inspection of the computer-based test (CBT) English Language examination on Saturday in Lagos.

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

Mr Kum said that the registered candidates included about 272 walk-in candidates who enrolled to remedy individual subjects.

He said that Lagos State recorded more than 22,000 candidates, including about 50 walk-in candidates sitting for the examination.

The WAEC official said that the adoption of CBT was helping to curb examination malpractices, strengthen the credibility of the exercise and promote transparency.

He said that WAEC introduced CBT in 2024 and had continued to improve the process to strengthen examination security and 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 said that candidates were thoroughly searched before entering examination halls to prevent prohibited materials from being taken inside and safeguard the integrity of the exercise.

“We do not set traps for candidates; we want to prevent malpractice by ensuring they enter the examination hall without unauthorised materials,” Mr Kum said.

He said that the council would continue to adopt innovations to improve examination administration and sustain its reputation for integrity.

“WAEC will continue to improve to ensure that it remains the benchmark for examination integrity and innovation in Nigeria,” Mr Kum said.

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

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

The examination is part of WAEC’s ongoing transition towards computer-based testing.