Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) has engaged key Resource Persons and profession stakeholders as part of its preparations for the 2026 Federal Civil Service Promotion Examination. This was contained in a statement signed by Ibraheem Zakariyya, ANIPR, Head, Press and Public Relations, For: Federal Civil Service Commission.
The interactive engagement, chaired by the Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, and attended by Hon. Commissioners of the FCSC, was held on Tuesday at the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja. The meeting focused on strengthening the quality, credibility, competitiveness and professional relevance of the 2026 Promotion Examination.
Addressing the Resource Persons, Prof. Olaopa commended them for their years of service and continued support to the Commission. He acknowledged that their wealth of experience, integrity and professional standing have contributed significantly to the confidence, credibility and respectability that the Promotion Examination process has enjoyed over the years.
The Chairman noted that the Commission’s experience with the introduction of Computer-Based Testing (CBT) and Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) during the 2025 Promotion Examination provided valuable lessons for the 2026 exercise. He observed that the unusually high pass rate recorded during the maiden CBT exercise had raised concerns about the competitiveness, depth and discriminatory value of some of the questions administered.
Prof. Olaopa therefore urged the Resource Persons, whom he described as custodians and gatekeepers of their respective professional cadres, to ensure that questions developed for the 2026 examination go beyond basic or common-sense knowledge. He stressed that the questions should adequately assess the competence, professional knowledge, experience, judgement and maturity expected of officers seeking advancement to higher levels within the Federal Civil Service.
The Chairman disclosed that the Commission is proposing the introduction of scenario-based questions for officers on Grade Levels 16 and 17, as part of measures to make the examination more rigorous, practical and closely aligned with the responsibilities attached to senior positions.
Under the proposed arrangement, candidates will answer 40 questions, comprising 10 scenario-based questions and 30 multiple-choice questions. Each scenario-based question will attract two marks, while each of the remaining questions will carry one mark, bringing the total score to 50 marks.
While emphasising the need for a more rigorous assessment, Prof. Olaopa cautioned the Resource Persons against setting questions merely to make the examination unnecessarily difficult. He stressed that the objective is to assess mature candidates fairly and professionally.
He encouraged the Resource Persons to approach the assignment as experienced teachers and assessors, ensuring that questions are challenging, relevant, professionally grounded and capable of distinguishing officers who possess the requisite knowledge, competence and sound professional judgement.
Prof. Olaopa also emphasised the need for absolute integrity, confidentiality and professionalism throughout the examination process. He described the Commission as one of the critical gatekeepers of the Nigerian Civil Service and warned that no individual or interest would be permitted to compromise the integrity of the Promotion Examination.
The Chairman disclosed that, during his tenure, some individuals had been removed from the pool of examiners following intelligence reports concerning attempts to compromise the examination process. He reiterated that the Commission would continue to take firm measures to protect the credibility and integrity of the examination.
He therefore called on all Resource Persons to uphold the confidence reposed in them and work closely with the Commission to ensure that the 2026 Federal Civil Service Promotion Examination is conducted in accordance with the highest standards of professionalism, fairness, integrity and confidentiality.
Prof. Olaopa expressed confidence that the collective experience, expertise and commitment of the Resource Persons would enable the Commission to further strengthen the Promotion Examination and sustain its credibility, while advancing ongoing efforts to restore and consolidate the high professional standards historically associated with the Nigerian Civil Service.
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