Government Expands Education Reforms with Computer-Based Technical College Entrance Exams

Federal Government has commenced plans to digitise admission examinations into technical colleges following the successful pilot of a computer-based testing (CBT) system during the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination for Federal and State Technical Colleges.

The pilot exercise, conducted alongside the traditional paper-based examination, was coordinated nationwide by the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) as part of ongoing efforts to modernise assessment processes within Nigeria’s technical and vocational education sector.

According to a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, the examination was conducted smoothly across centres nationwide, including Federal Technical College, Orozo, and Government Secondary School, Garki, Abuja.

Speaking during the monitoring exercise, the Director of Technology and Science Education, Mrs Patricia Ogungbemi, who represented the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, encouraged candidates to consider technical and vocational education as a pathway to skills development, innovation, entrepreneurship and employment.

She said technical colleges remain critical to Nigeria’s economic development agenda, noting that graduates are equipped with practical skills that align with industry needs and emerging opportunities in the labour market.

The ministry explained that the CBT component was introduced as a pilot programme to assess the effectiveness of digital testing and evaluate readiness for a possible transition to a fully computer-based examination system in future admission cycles.

Officials described the successful conduct of both examination formats as a significant step in the government’s broader education reform agenda, which seeks to strengthen examination integrity, improve assessment efficiency and expand the use of technology across the education system.

The initiative aligns with ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to digitise public examinations and promote technology-driven learning and assessment models across schools and educational institutions nationwide.

For education stakeholders, the pilot signals a growing shift towards digital assessment in Nigeria’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector, an area increasingly viewed as central to the country’s skills development and workforce preparation strategy.