NECO releases guidelines, date for 2020 exams

The National Examinations Council (NECO) says its 2020 examinations for Senior Secondary 3 students will commence on October 5, and end on November 18.

Godswill Obioma, NECO registrar/chief executive officer, broke the news in a statement on Tuesday.

In the statement titled, “Making the Conduct Of Public Examinations Work in the COVID-19 Era”, the council said its NCEE exam for admission into federal unity colleges will start on October 17.

“NECO SSCE will take place on Monday 5th October 2020 to Wednesday 18th November 2020 while NECO NCEE for admission of JSS1 students into Federal Unity Colleges will hold on Saturday 17th October 2020,” it read.

“In addition, NECO has scheduled the Basic Education Certificate Examinations (re-sit) to take place on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th November 2020 for the prescribed relevant subjects.

“The BECE for JSS 3 students will start on August 24 and end on September 7.

“The National Business and Technical Examination Board examinations will start on September 21 and end on October 15.”

Obioma said the council has also put in place measures to ensure strict compliance with COVID-19 guidelines before, during and after the exams.

“NECO has put in place special measures for its BECE, SSCE, and NCEE this year. The measures will ensure appropriate standards and excellence before, during and after the examinations,” the statement added.

The guidelines, according to him, include the “signing of allegiance by everyone who will participate in the examination, and the installation and use of special CCTV cameras in all examination centres and custodian points are being explored.

“Preparing examination centres and schools in compliance with COVID-19 protocols; decontamination of examination centres and schools; maintaining prescribed physical and social distancing protocols by candidates and examination officials.

“Others include the provision of water and handwashing facilities, sanitizers and face masks by school proprietors, managers, parents and guardians as the case may be; as well as use of water, handwashing facilities, sanitizers and face masks by school proprietors, managers, parents/guardians, examination officials candidates and security officials.”