The Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) has disclosed that 5,792 civil servants have so far participated in the 2026 Directorate Cadre Promotion Examination conducted through the Computer-Based Testing (CBT) system across the country.
The FCSC Chairman, Prof Tunji Olaopa, disclosed this on Monday after inspecting eight examination centres in the Federal Capital Territory to assess the conduct of the exercise.
Olaopa said the Commission had planned for about 5,900 candidates, with the examination decentralised across the six geopolitical zones to improve accessibility and reduce logistical challenges for eligible officers.
According to him, the FCT recorded the highest number of candidates, partly because of its accessibility to civil servants from neighbouring states, including Kogi and Niger.
The chairman described the adoption of CBT as a significant improvement in the administration of promotion examinations in the Federal Public Service.
“Based on the experience so far, the CBT has proved considerably easier to administer than the previous manual system,” Olaopa said.
He said the system would improve standardisation, transparency and efficiency in the assessment of candidates.
Olaopa added that about 97 per cent of candidates arrived at their examination centres on time, while the few latecomers were appropriately managed.
He said the exercise experienced only minor operational challenges, including initial internet connectivity issues at some centres.
To address the challenges, the Commission provided alternative candidate identification codes to enable affected candidates to access the examination without prolonged delays.
The FCSC chairman also said arrangements had been made for candidates with visual and physical challenges, with the Commission working with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to provide the necessary adjustments.
Addressing concerns about candidates’ computer literacy, Olaopa said the examination platform had been designed to be simple and user-friendly, requiring only basic navigation skills.
He added that demonstration materials were provided ahead of the examination to familiarise candidates with the CBT system.
Olaopa urged civil servants to improve their digital skills, noting that the increasing digitalisation of government operations had made basic computer competency increasingly important.
He also reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the promotion process and preventing manipulation or undue interference.
According to him, career progression in the Federal Civil Service must be based on merit, competence and demonstrable performance.
He said the Commission’s broader reform agenda was focused on strengthening competency-based human resource management across the service.
Olaopa disclosed that the Commission had learnt from the 2025 examination, which it rated at about 68 per cent, while the 2026 exercise had so far recorded a performance level of at least 90 per cent.
He, however, identified logistics, network dependence, examination question-setting and other operational processes as areas requiring further improvement.
The FCSC chairman commended the candidates, examination officials, JAMB and other stakeholders for their cooperation.
He assured that the Commission would continue to improve the process to make promotion examinations more accessible, efficient and credible.
