By Emmanuel Emeka
The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa, has commended the orderly conduct of the 2026 Directorate Cadre Promotion Examination across the country, describing the adoption of Computer-Based Testing (CBT) as a major improvement in the administration of promotion examinations.
Olaopa made the remarks on Monday after inspecting eight examination centres in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where he assessed the conduct of the exercise and interacted with officials overseeing the process.
The FCSC Chairman disclosed that about 5,900 candidates were expected to participate in the examination, with 5,792 candidates successfully taking the test at the time of the inspection.
He said the examination was decentralised across the six geopolitical zones to make participation easier for eligible civil servants and improve the efficiency of the promotion process.
According to him, the FCT recorded the highest number of candidates, partly because of its accessibility to officers from neighbouring states such as Kogi and Niger, thereby reducing the need for candidates to travel to distant locations.
Olaopa said the transition from the previous manual examination system to CBT had made the process easier to administer while creating greater opportunities for standardisation, transparency and efficient assessment.
He noted that approximately 97 per cent of candidates arrived at their centres on time, while the few cases of late arrival were appropriately managed.
The Chairman acknowledged some initial challenges, particularly internet connectivity at a few centres, but said alternative candidate identification codes were provided to ensure affected candidates could access the examination without prolonged delays.
He also disclosed that arrangements had been made to accommodate candidates with visual and physical challenges.
According to him, the Commission, in collaboration with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), was able to make necessary adjustments for candidates whose special requirements had not been communicated before the examination.
Addressing concerns over computer literacy among civil servants, Olaopa said the CBT platform was designed to be simple and user-friendly, requiring only basic computer navigation skills.
He added that demonstration materials had been made available to candidates ahead of the examination, urging civil servants to continuously improve their digital skills as government operations become increasingly technology-driven.
The FCSC Chairman also reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the promotion process and preventing undue interference or manipulation.
He stressed that career progression in the Civil Service must be anchored on merit, competence and demonstrable performance, adding that the Commission’s broader reform agenda was aimed at strengthening competency-based human resource management across the Public Service.
Olaopa described the examination process as a continuous learning exercise, noting that lessons from previous editions were being used to improve subsequent exercises.
He disclosed that the Commission had rated the conduct of the 2025 examination at about 68 per cent, while expressing confidence that the 2026 exercise had improved considerably, with its current performance estimated at not less than 90 per cent.
He identified logistics, dependence on network connectivity, examination question-setting and other operational processes as areas requiring further improvement.
The Chairman thanked candidates, examination officials, JAMB and other stakeholders for their cooperation, assuring that the Commission would continue to improve the promotion examination system to make it more accessible, efficient and credible.
He reiterated that promotion within the Federal Civil Service should remain a reflection of competence, merit and professional development.
