The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has launched a new plan to combat examination malpractice by providing each candidate with a customised set of questions in some major subjects.
The announcement was made during a meeting with secondary school principals across West Africa. WAEC stated that the move is aimed at preventing cheating by ensuring that no two candidates receive the same questions in selected subjects.
The new system will start with English Language (Papers 1 & 3), Biology 1, Mathematics 1, and Economics 1. Each student will get a unique question paper that matches their personal OMR sheet.
WAEC officials explained that this innovation demands high-level compliance from examination supervisors. In instances where a candidate’s personalised paper is not available, supervisors are instructed to promptly issue an emergency version of the paper, accompanied by a plain OMR sheet.
This strategy targets the roots of malpractice — including collusion, impersonation, and question leaks — that have undermined the credibility of WAEC examinations over the years.
“This move is a game-changer,” a senior WAEC official stated. “We are sending a clear message: organised cheating rings and the era of leaked examination questions are coming to an end.”
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