The Federal Government has approved a new uniform examination fee of ₦50,000 for candidates sitting the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE), effective from the 2027 examination cycle.
The new fee represents an 82 per cent increase over the current ₦27,500 charged per candidate for the examinations.
The approval was contained in a statement dated June 18, 2026, and signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Adeniji Ibrahim.
According to the ministry, the decision followed a request by WAEC seeking an upward review of the SSCE registration fee in view of prevailing economic realities and the rising cost of conducting the examinations.
The statement disclosed that the approval was reached after a meeting between the Minister of Education and officials of WAEC and NECO held on March 31, 2026, during which the need to review examination fees was extensively discussed.
It stated that, after deliberations, the Minister directed both examination bodies to adopt a uniform examination fee for the conduct of their Senior School Certificate Examinations to ensure consistency in the registration process.
The statement read: “You may recall that at a meeting of examination bodies held with the Honourable Minister of Education on 31 March, 2026, where the need for upward review of examination fees was discussed.
“The Honourable Minister directed that WAEC and NECO should adopt a uniform fee for the conduct of WAEC and NECO SSCE.”
It further announced the official approval of the new fee, saying: “Consequently, I am directed to convey the Honourable Minister of Education’s approval of the sum of fifty thousand naira (₦50,000.00) only, as the new examination fee per candidate, with effect from NECO SSCE (Internal), 2027.”
The Federal Ministry of Education also directed that the new policy be communicated to all relevant stakeholders, including schools, examination bodies and education authorities across the country, to ensure adequate preparation ahead of its implementation.
The new fee is expected to take effect with the 2027 NECO SSCE (Internal) and is also to be adopted for the WAEC Senior School Certificate Examination, in line with the government’s directive on harmonised examination charges.
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