Approved WAEC May/June Timetable 2026/2027 for School Candidates

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has officially published the timetable for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, covering all important details, including examination dates, subject schedules, and important updates for candidates across the region.

The timetable was announced on March 27, 2026, via WAEC's official X page, with the examination body urging students, parents, and schools to refer only to the schedule on its official website, waecnigeria.org, and to ignore any other versions in circulation.

This announcement is especially important as thousands of final year secondary school students across Nigeria and other West African nations gear up for this pivotal academic milestone. With unofficial schedules having caused confusion in prior years, WAEC has made clear that the version on their website remains the sole authoritative timetable.

Examination Schedule

The 2026 WASSCE will span approximately two and a half months, running from early April to mid June 2026.

• Examination Begins: Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
• Examination Ends: Friday, June 19, 2026.

This schedule applies to school candidates across all WAEC member countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and The Gambia.

Phase 1: Practical and Project Work (April 7 to April 27, 2026)

The examination commences with practical assessments and project work. This phase includes hands on evaluations in subjects such as:

1. Basketry
2. Textiles
3. Performing Arts
4. Agricultural Science (Practical)
5. Chemistry (Practical)
6. Physics (Practical)
7. Biology (Practical)

These practical assessments are scheduled by WAEC individually, and candidates are advised to confirm specific dates with their examination centres.

See Latest Announcement: WAEC Publishes 2026 WASSCE Timetable

Phase 2: Written Examinations (Late April to Mid June 2026)

Mid to Late May

Core Subjects (June 1 to June 11, 2026)

This period represents the peak of the examination schedule, featuring compulsory and core subjects:

Final Examination Week (June 16 to June 19, 2026)

Note: Language subjects like English and French include oral components scheduled for mid May, reflecting WAEC's emphasis on both written and spoken competence.

DOWNLOAD WAEC MAY/JUNE TIMETABLE 2026/2027

Examination Structure

Most WAEC subjects are divided into multiple papers:

Paper 1: Objective

Multiple choice questions are designed to test quick understanding and recall.

Paper 2: Essay

Theory questions that require detailed explanations and comprehensive answers.

Paper 3: Practical

Hands on experiments are commonly used for science and technical subjects. Some subjects may also include oral tests or performance assessments, especially for languages and technical courses.

Changes in the WAEC May/June 2026/2027 Examination 

There are some major changes in this year's WAEC examination. They include:

1. Transition to Computer Based Testing (CBT)

The Federal Ministry of Education has ordered that the examination fully move to Computer Based Testing for all sections, which is a major change for Nigeria's education system. 

However, WAEC has confirmed that the 2026 May/June exam will not be fully CBT just yet; schools will either write on computers or use pen and paper, depending on how ready they are.

Schools that want to go fully computer based need to officially let WAEC know. Also, candidates will no longer write their exams in their own schools but will instead be grouped at designated exam centres.

2. New Subject Combination

WAEC has implemented a new policy regarding subject selection :

• Science Students can no longer offer Economics.
• Arts/Humanities Students are also barred from Economics.
• Only Business/Commercial Students are permitted to sit for Economics.

Candidates must ensure their subject combinations align with these new restrictions to avoid issues with their WAEC results.