Nigeria Moves To Scrap Common Entrance Exams

Nigeria may be on the verge of a major change in its education system as the Federal Government considers scrapping the long-standing Junior Secondary School Common Entrance Examination and introducing a system to track every pupil throughout their academic journey.

The proposal was disclosed by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos on Saturday. At its core, the reform seeks to strengthen how pupils are monitored as they progress through Nigeria’s education system, ensuring that more children are properly accounted for as they move from primary school into the next stage of learning.

For decades, the common entrance examination has served as the gateway between primary and junior secondary school. Under the proposed changes, however, the single high-stakes exam would be phased out and replaced with Continuous Assessment (CA), which evaluates pupils based on their academic performance over time rather than a one-off examination.

According to the minister, the assessment will capture pupils’ academic progress from Primary One, creating a record that follows them wherever they go. If a pupil transfers to another school, the academic record will move with them.

“The CA will reflect the performance of the pupil from primary one and even if a pupil is transferring from one school to another, he will take it along to his new school,” Alausa explained.

Beyond changes to assessment, the reform is also designed to strengthen how Nigeria tracks pupils as they progress through the education system. While enrolment at the primary school level remains high, the government believes better monitoring will help ensure that more pupils transition smoothly into secondary education.

Officials say improving access to secondary education will also play an important role in strengthening this transition. In many communities across the country, expanding school infrastructure will help ensure that pupils who complete primary education are able to continue their academic journey.

The minister disclosed that discussions have already taken place with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, with a focus on encouraging state governments to build more schools capable of accommodating the growing number of pupils moving through the education system.

“State governments need to build more schools to accommodate more pupils and students,” he said.

Another key element of the reform is the introduction of a Learner Identification Number that will be assigned to pupils from the primary school level. The unique number will remain with each child throughout their schooling, regardless of where they begin their education or whether they later transfer to another school.

The system is expected to give education authorities a clearer picture of pupils’ progress while making it easier to follow their academic journey across different schools and stages of learning.

“If somebody is expected to be in JSS class one and he is not there, we will be able to know the reason why he is not continuing his education,” the minister explained.

Alongside these measures, the government is also considering reviving the school feeding programme, which previously helped strengthen enrolment in public schools. The initiative may be moved to the Federal Ministry of Education to improve monitoring and ensure more effective implementation.

Taken together, the proposed reforms reflect a broader effort to strengthen Nigeria’s education system, improving access, enhancing how pupils are monitored throughout their schooling, and ensuring that more children are able to progress confidently from primary school into secondary education.