The Federal government has approved a new registration fee of N50,000 for candidates sitting the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), with the new rate taking effect from the 2027 examination cycle.
The approval, granted through the Federal Ministry of Education, represents a significant increase in the cost of the two examinations. Under the new arrangement, the registration fee for the NECO SSCE for school candidates will rise from N30,000 to N50,000, while WAEC’s fee will increase from N27,000 to the same amount.
The decision was contained in a memo dated June 18, 2026, signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education in the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Adeniji Ibrahim, on behalf of the Minister of Education.
According to the memo, the increase followed a request by the West African Examinations Council for an upward review of examination fees and the Federal Government’s decision to harmonise the charges for both examination bodies.
The ministry recalled that during a meeting between the Minister of Education and heads of examination bodies on March 31, 2026, stakeholders discussed the need to review existing fees in view of prevailing economic realities.
It stated that the Minister subsequently directed WAEC and NECO to adopt a uniform registration fee for the Senior School Certificate Examination beginning from 2027.
The memo, addressed to the Registrar of NECO, read in part: “The West African Examinations Council has requested an upward review of the examination fees for the Senior School Certificate Examination for school candidates, with effect from 2027.
“You may recall that at a meeting of examination bodies held with the Honourable Minister of Education on 31st March, 2026, where the need for upward review of examination fee was discussed, the Honourable Minister of Education directed that the West African Examinations Council and the National Examinations Council should adopt a uniform fee for the conduct of WAEC and NECO SSCE.
“Consequently, I am directed to convey the Honourable Minister of Education’s approval of the sum of Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000) only, as the new examination fee for candidates with effect from NECO SSCE Internal 2027. You are to bring the content of this letter to all stakeholders.”
The development comes shortly after WAEC concluded the 2026 SSCE for school candidates, while NECO’s 2026 examination is currently ongoing across the country.
The approval is, however, expected to have significant financial implications for both state governments and parents.
Several state governments currently shoulder the cost of registering candidates for WAEC and, in some cases, NECO examinations. Education stakeholders fear that the new fee may worsen the outstanding debts owed to the examination bodies by states that subsidise or fully fund candidates’ registration but struggle to remit payments promptly.
Parents have also expressed concern that the increase could make it difficult for many students, particularly those from low-income households, to register for the examinations in states where governments do not provide financial support.
In Lagos State, for instance, the state government pays the registration fees for candidates sitting the WAEC SSCE, while parents who can afford it are responsible for registering their children for the NECO examination.
Education experts have warned that unless governments at both the federal and state levels introduce additional support measures before the policy takes effect, the higher examination fee could increase the number of out-of-school candidates unable to obtain the certificates required for admission into tertiary institutions.
While the Federal Ministry of Education has not provided a detailed justification for the increase, examination bodies have consistently cited rising costs of logistics, security, technology, printing of examination materials and overall administration as major factors driving the need for a review of examination charges.
The new fee will take effect from the 2027 Senior School Certificate Examination for school candidates conducted by both WAEC and NECO.
