FG Proposes Change of Time Schedule for UTME, WASSCE, Others

By Adedapo Adesanya

The federal government is looking to change the timeline of the core examination as part of the education reform agenda under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), led by the Minister of Education, Mr Tunji Alausa.

The ministry has proposed March 15 to 25, 2027, for the conduct of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), with results expected within the same month.

Under the schedule, the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) will be held from April 1 to May 14, while the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is scheduled for May 11 to June 18.

The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) examination is proposed for June 1 to July 5, while the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) examination will take place from June 10 to July 9.

The government is targeting August 2027 for the release of results from NECO, WAEC, NABTEB and NBAIS to enable eligible candidates to begin tertiary institution admission processes in September.

To coordinate the examination calendar, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, met with heads and representatives of examination bodies at the Federal Ministry of Education headquarters in Abuja.

The meeting focused on synchronising examination dates, reducing timetable clashes and ensuring the timely processing of results to support candidates’ transition from secondary schools to tertiary institutions.

The Ministry of Education said consultations with the examination bodies would continue to encourage compliance with the proposed dates and strengthen accountability in examination administration.

The proposed dates remain subject to further engagement with the relevant examination bodies.