The Federal Ministry of Education is taking steps to curb arbitrary increases in the fees charged by schools for the 2027 May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), the newly appointed Head of the National Office of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria, Suleiman Danlami Kum, has disclosed.
Kum, who succeeded Dr Amos Dangut following his appointment as WAEC Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, said the ministry was addressing concerns over schools charging candidates amounts exceeding the official examination fees.
He spoke on Saturday while inspecting the ongoing 2026 WASSCE for Private Candidates, Second Series.
According to him, WAEC has received reports that some schools have been charging prospective candidates excessive fees ahead of the 2027 May/June examination. However, he clarified that the council had yet to release the registration entries for the forthcoming examination.
Kum assured candidates and parents that the Federal Ministry of Education was taking steps to address the situation and prevent schools from arbitrarily increasing examination charges.
“We know in the past that schools have been charging more than the examination fee. But I want to tell you that the Federal Minister of Education is not just sitting down. We thank God for the Minister of Education we have. I want to assure you that something is being done by the Federal Ministry of Education now to check those schools that are increasing these examination fees arbitrarily,” he said.
Over 56,000 candidates register for private WASSCE
Providing an update on the ongoing examination, Kum disclosed that more than 56,000 candidates had registered for the 2026 WASSCE for Private Candidates, Second Series, across the country.
He added that approximately 272 walk-in candidates had registered to sit specific papers after the main registration period had closed.
In Lagos State alone, more than 22,000 candidates were participating in the examination.
Kum explained that the walk-in arrangement allows candidates seeking to remedy deficiencies in particular subjects to register before the relevant examination paper and sit for it on the scheduled day.
The initiative provides an opportunity for candidates to improve their results in specific subjects without necessarily registering for the entire examination again.
WAEC backs computer-based examinations
The WAEC official expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the ongoing examination, describing computer-based testing (CBT) as an effective approach to strengthening examination integrity and reducing malpractice.
He said the council began implementing computer-based examinations in 2024 and had continued to improve the process since its introduction.
According to him, candidates undergo screening before entering examination halls to prevent unauthorised materials from being brought into examination centres.
He explained that male officials search male candidates, while female officials search female candidates, as part of measures to maintain order and protect the integrity of the examination.
Kum said the screening process was designed to prevent malpractice rather than punish candidates who might inadvertently carry prohibited materials into examination halls.
“CBT has come to stay,” he declared.
He added that the transition to computer-based examinations had made the process more seamless and contributed to efforts to minimise examination malpractice.
WAEC urges candidates to prepare adequately
Kum reaffirmed WAEC’s commitment to safeguarding the credibility of its examinations and introducing innovations to improve its operations.
He urged candidates preparing for upcoming examinations to study diligently, revise their subjects thoroughly and make effective use of WAEC past questions and answers.
The planned intervention by the Federal Ministry of Education comes amid concerns over additional charges imposed by some schools on prospective examination candidates. However, the official registration fees for the 2027 May/June WASSCE had not been released at the time of Kum’s remarks.
