The National Examinations Council (NECO) has announced changes to the structure of the English Language Paper III in the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal.

Starting from the 2026 SSCE Internal, the number of objective questions will be reduced from 100 to 80, with the paper now covering six sections, Antonyms (10), Appropriateness of Registers (10), Idioms/Phrasal Verbs/Foreign Words (10), Synonyms (10), Grammatical Structures (30), and Cloze Text (10). The duration has also been adjusted to 50 minutes.

The move, according to NECO, is aimed at streamlining the exam process and improving candidates’ testing experience.

This comes as the Council prepares for its transition to computer-based testing (CBT), beginning with the November/December 2025 SSCE External, in line with the Federal Government’s directive to adopt CBT nationwide by 2026.

NECO said it has invited private and public CBT centre operators for accreditation under strict standards, stressing that the reforms will modernise examinations, reduce malpractice, and improve efficiency.