Nigeria to Scrap Common Entrance Exam, Introduce Continuous Assessment Model

Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa

Nigeria to Scrap Common Entrance Exam, Introduce Continuous Assessment Model

The Federal Government has unveiled plans to abolish the Junior Secondary School Common Entrance Examination and replace it with a Learner Identification Number system aimed at tracking pupils throughout their educational journey and improving access to basic education across Nigeria.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos, explaining that the reform is part of broader efforts to modernise the education system and address gaps in student progression from primary to secondary school.

According to the minister, the proposed system will shift the country away from a single high-stakes entrance examination to a more continuous assessment-based framework, where pupils are evaluated over time based on their academic performance from primary school level.

“It will be replaced by Continuous Assessment, CA. The CA will reflect the performance of the pupil from primary one… even if a pupil is transferring from one school to another, he will take it along to his new school,” Alausa said.

The Federal Government also plans to introduce a unique Learner Identification Number for every child enrolled in school. This identifier will follow the pupil throughout their academic journey, making it easier for authorities to monitor enrolment, transitions, and dropouts across the country.

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The minister explained that the initiative is designed to improve data tracking, accountability, and planning within the education sector, while also helping to identify children who drop out of school early.

He noted that Nigeria currently faces a significant gap in school retention. Citing official figures, Alausa said the country has over 50,000 public primary schools with more than 23 million pupils, yet only a small fraction proceed to junior secondary school.

“Only a little over 3 million among those pupils move to the junior secondary school level… then the question is, where are the about 20 million not enrolled in our public secondary schools?” he asked.

The minister attributed the gap largely to limited access to secondary education, stressing that infrastructure deficits remain a major challenge. He called on state governments to invest more in building schools to accommodate the growing number of pupils.

“It is obvious that we cannot say our private schools accommodate all of them… there is need to build more schools,” he added, noting that discussions have already been held with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to address the issue.

Alausa further stated that the new Learner Identification Number will allow education authorities to monitor students’ progression in real time. This means that if a child is expected to be in a particular class but is not enrolled, the system will flag it, enabling intervention.

“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,” he said.

The reform also aligns with broader efforts by the government to strengthen basic education, improve retention rates, and reduce the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria—an issue that has remained a major concern for policymakers and international education bodies such as the United Nations Children’s Fund.

In addition, the minister disclosed plans to revive and restructure the school feeding programme, with considerations to place it under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education to enhance oversight and effectiveness. The programme is expected to serve as an incentive to boost enrolment and retention in public schools.

Education stakeholders say the transition from a Common Entrance Examination to a continuous assessment and identification-based system could mark a major shift in Nigeria’s education policy. However, they also note that successful implementation will depend on robust data systems, adequate funding, teacher capacity, and collaboration between federal and state governments.

The proposed reforms are part of ongoing efforts to address structural challenges in Nigeria’s education sector, including low transition rates, infrastructure deficits, and limited access to quality schooling, which continue to affect millions of children nationwide.

If fully implemented, the Learner Identification Number system could provide a more efficient framework for tracking students, improving policy decisions, and ensuring that more Nigerian children complete their basic education.