The Federal Government has approved a new uniform examination fee of ₦50,000 for candidates sitting the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE), effective from 2027. The decision represents an 82% increase from the current WAEC fee of about ₦27,500 and follows a directive for both examination bodies to adopt a single fee structure.
Secondary school candidates across Nigeria will begin paying significantly more to register for their final examinations from 2027 after the Federal Government approved a new uniform fee of ₦50,000 for both WAEC and NECO examinations.
The move marks one of the biggest increases in recent years and is expected to affect millions of students preparing for the Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE).
According to a directive issued by the Federal Ministry of Education, the approval followed discussions between the Minister of Education and examination bodies over the rising cost of conducting national examinations.
The ministry directed both WAEC and NECO to adopt a uniform registration fee of ₦50,000 per candidate, with implementation beginning from the 2027 NECO SSCE (Internal) and subsequent WAEC examinations.
The new amount replaces the previous fee of approximately ₦27,500, representing an increase of about 82 percent.
Education stakeholders have expressed concern that the increase could place additional financial pressure on many Nigerian families already struggling with rising living costs.
While some state governments currently subsidise or fully sponsor examination fees for students in public schools, the policy could increase the financial burden on parents in states without such interventions.
The Ministry of Education said the decision followed consultations with the examination bodies and was aimed at creating a uniform fee structure for the conduct of SSCE examinations.
Relevant stakeholders have been directed to prepare for implementation ahead of the 2027 examination cycle.
The new fee policy is expected to generate widespread debate over access to education and affordability, with parents, schools and education advocates likely to scrutinise its impact ahead of its implementation in 2027.