RismadarVoice Reporters
October 14, 2026
The Federal Government of Nigeria has proposed a revised examination timetable aimed at ensuring that results of the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations are released by August, ahead of tertiary institution admissions in September.
The proposed arrangement seeks to address delays in examination results, minimise scheduling conflicts and ensure a smoother transition for candidates seeking admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
The Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, disclosed the proposal during a meeting with officials of examination bodies at the Federal Ministry of Education headquarters in Abuja.
According to a statement by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, discussions focused on harmonising examination schedules and establishing timelines for the processing and release of results.
Under the proposed timetable, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will conduct the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) from March 15 to 25, with results expected before the end of March.
NECO’s Senior School Certificate Examination is scheduled to take place from April 1 to May 14, while WAEC’s WASSCE will run from May 11 to June 18.
Results from both examinations are expected to be released in August 2027.
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 is scheduled for June 10 to July 9.
Both bodies are also expected to release their results in August.
The ministry explained that the proposed schedule would require examination bodies to strengthen coordination, improve administrative efficiency and complete marking and result processing within the agreed timelines.
It added that the initiative forms part of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative being implemented under the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa.
The reform programme is intended to improve coordination among education institutions, strengthen accountability and reduce administrative obstacles affecting students.
The ministry said consultations with examination bodies would continue to ensure that examination dates and result-release timelines align more closely with tertiary institution admission requirements.
It also emphasised the importance of preventing avoidable delays that could affect candidates’ admission opportunities.
However, the proposed timetable has not been presented as a finalised examination calendar.
Its implementation will depend on further coordination among the examination bodies and their capacity to conduct examinations, complete assessments and release results within the stipulated periods.
