FCSC: 5,792 Sit Directorate Promotion Exam as Olaopa Applauds Seamless CBT

"The Commission had made arrangements for approximately 5,900 candidates, with the examination decentralised across the geopolitical zones to make participation easier for eligible civil servants and improve the administration of the promotion process." Olaopa 

.... Says "candidates were accommodated in centres across the FCT, South-West, South-East, South-South, North-West, North-East and North-Central zones."

The Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) has said 5,792 candidates have so far participated in the 2026 Directorate Cadre Promotion Examination conducted through Computer-Based Testing (CBT) across designated centres nationwide.

The Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, disclosed this on Monday after inspecting eight examination centres in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where he expressed satisfaction with the orderly conduct of the exercise.

According to him, the Commission had made arrangements for approximately 5,900 candidates, with the examination decentralised across the geopolitical zones to make participation easier for eligible civil servants and improve the administration of the promotion process.

Olaopa said candidates were accommodated in centres across the FCT, South-West, South-East, South-South, North-West, North-East and North-Central zones.

He explained that the FCT recorded the highest number of candidates, partly because of its accessibility to officers from neighbouring states, particularly Kogi and Niger, thereby reducing the logistical challenges associated with travelling to more distant examination centres.

The FCSC chairman described the introduction of CBT as a major milestone in the Commission’s efforts to modernise and professionalise promotion examinations in the Federal Public Service.

He said the experience from the 2026 exercise had shown that the CBT format was considerably easier to administer than the previous manual system, while offering greater opportunities for standardisation, transparency and efficient assessment.

Olaopa disclosed that about 97 per cent of candidates arrived at their examination centres on time, while the few cases of late arrival were appropriately managed.

He commended the candidates for their conduct, noting that only minor operational observations had been recorded during the exercise.

The chairman, however, acknowledged initial challenges relating to internet connectivity at some centres, saying the Commission had anticipated such situations and provided an alternative candidate identification code to enable affected candidates to access the examination without prolonged delays.

He also disclosed that special arrangements had been made for candidates with visual and physical challenges.

According to him, in cases where candidates had not earlier communicated their special requirements, the Commission, in collaboration with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), made the necessary adjustments to ensure that eligible candidates were accommodated.

On concerns over the computer literacy of some candidates, Olaopa said the CBT platform was deliberately designed to be simple and user-friendly, requiring only basic computer navigation skills.

He noted that demonstration materials had been made available to candidates ahead of the examination to familiarise them with the platform.

The FCSC chairman also urged civil servants to continually improve their digital skills, stressing that such competencies had become increasingly important as government operations continued to undergo digital transformation.

Olaopa reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the promotion examination and preventing undue interference or manipulation of the process.

He said the FCSC had a critical gatekeeping responsibility to ensure that career progression in the Civil Service was anchored on merit, competence and demonstrable performance.

According to him, the Commission’s broader reform agenda is aimed at strengthening and reinventing competency-based human resource management in the Public Service.

The chairman also described the reform process as a continuous learning experience, noting that the Commission had identified areas requiring further improvement.

He recalled that the conduct of the 2025 promotion examination had been assessed at about 68 per cent, but expressed confidence that significant progress had been recorded in the 2026 exercise.

Olaopa put the current performance of the examination at not less than 90 per cent, attributing the improvement to lessons learnt from the previous exercise and measures introduced by the Commission.

He identified logistics, dependence on network connectivity, examination question-setting and other operational processes as areas that would continue to receive attention as the Commission seeks to further improve subsequent exercises.

The FCSC chairman commended the candidates, examination officials, JAMB and other stakeholders for their cooperation in ensuring the smooth conduct of the exercise.

He reaffirmed the Commission’s determination to continuously improve the promotion examination system, making it more accessible, efficient and credible.

Olaopa stressed that promotion in the Federal Civil Service must remain a reflection of competence, merit and professional development, rather than being subjected to undue interference or manipulation.