NECO Cuts English Exam Questions from 100 to 80 to Ease Student Load

Abuja — In a move to reduce exam fatigue and sharpen assessment efficiency, the National Examinations Council (NECO) has announced a major overhaul of its English Language Paper III. Starting with the 2026 SSCE Internal exams, the number of objective questions will drop from 100 to 80, and the exam duration will be shortened to 50 minutes.

What’s Changing

A notification signed by NECO’s Osun State coordinator, Sunday K. Bolaji, outlines the new question breakdown:

• Antonyms — 10 questions
• Appropriateness of register — 10 questions
• Interpretation of idioms, phrasal verbs, and foreign words — 10 questions
• Synonyms — 10 questions
• Grammatical structures — 30 questions
• Cloze test — 10 questions Punch NewsEdugist

With fewer questions and a tighter timeframe, NECO says the reform will streamline the testing process and give students a more focused experience.

Why This Matters

• Less fatigue, more accuracy: Reducing the number of objective questions means students can concentrate better without rushing through lengthy sections.
• Efficient grading: Fewer questions could speed up the marking process and reduce examiner burden.
• Alignment with CBT rollout: As NECO moves toward full computer-based testing (CBT) for school-based exams by 2026, a leaner exam format supports faster digital delivery and scoring. Punch NewsEdugist

What Schools and Teachers Need to Do

Educators should begin reorienting students to expect a more concentrated exam layout—fewer distractors, more targeted practice. Time management drills, high-yield grammar and vocabulary revision, and mock tests aligned with the new sections will be essential preparation strategies.

This is also a signal to school administrators to revisit their internal assessment formats: shorter quizzes, sharper feedback loops, and consistent practice under timed conditions could give students an edge under the new format.

What’s Next?

NECO’s reform raises a few key questions:

• Will other subjects follow by trimming excessive question loads?
• How will full CBT implementation intersect with the streamlined format—will we see adaptive testing or enhanced analytics?
• Most importantly, will students in under-resourced schools get the support they need to thrive in a faster, more digital testing environment?

If managed well, this change could mark the beginning of smarter testing in Nigeria—where quality, not quantity, wins the day.