📌 Quick Summary: WAEC’s official final timetable for the 2026 WASSCE for Private Candidates, Second Series (the exam most people call WAEC GCE) runs from 4 September to 28 October 2026. Written papers began on Tuesday 22 September. Oral and practical papers were scheduled for 14 to 25 September on dates arranged by the Council. Mathematics (Elective) opened the written papers, General Mathematics is on 3 October, English Language on 17 October, and the final papers (Technical Drawing) on 28 October. The full list of papers, durations and times is below, copied from WAEC’s own timetable PDF.
Several sites have published their own versions of the WAEC GCE timetable, and some of them give a different exam window. The version below comes from WAEC Nigeria’s official timetable document, dated August 2026, which is attached to the notice titled “WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2026 – Second Series Final Timetable”.
Key Facts From WAEC’s Timetable
- Exam period: Friday 4 September to Wednesday 28 October 2026. The first entries are Foods and Nutrition and Home Management planning sessions.
- Written papers: begin Tuesday 22 September with Further Mathematics / Mathematics (Elective).
- Orals and practicals: Arabic Oral, Music Performance Test, French Oral, Foods and Nutrition Practical and Home Management Practical are scheduled between 14 and 25 September. WAEC says the date and time for each of these will be arranged by the Council.
- All times are Nigerian time.
Full WAEC GCE 2026 Second Series Timetable
| Date (2026) | Subject / Paper | Duration | Nigerian time |
| Fri 4 Sep | Foods and Nutrition 3 (Practical) – Planning Session | 1 hr | 9:30am – 10:30am |
| Fri 4 Sep | Home Management 3 (Practical) – Planning Session | 1 hr | 10:30am – 11:30am |
| Mon 14 – Fri 25 Sep | Arabic 3 (Oral) | 15 mins | Date and time arranged by the Council |
| Mon 14 – Fri 25 Sep | Music 3B (Performance Test) | 30 mins | Date and time arranged by the Council |
| Mon 14 – Fri 25 Sep | French 3 (Oral) | 40 mins | Date and time arranged by the Council |
| Mon 14 – Fri 25 Sep | Foods and Nutrition 3 (Practical) | 3 hrs | Date and time arranged by the Council |
| Mon 14 – Fri 25 Sep | Home Management 3 (Practical) | 3 hrs | Date and time arranged by the Council |
| Tue 22 Sep | Further Mathematics / Mathematics (Elective) 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs 30 mins | 9:30am – 12:00pm |
| Tue 22 Sep | Further Mathematics / Mathematics (Elective) 1 (Objective) | 1 hr 30 mins | 2:00pm – 3:30pm |
| Wed 23 Sep | Accounting 2 (Theory and Practice) | 2 hrs 30 mins | 9:30am – 12:00pm |
| Wed 23 Sep | Accounting 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 12:00pm – 1:00pm |
| Wed 23 Sep | Government 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs | 2:00pm – 4:00pm |
| Wed 23 Sep | Government 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 4:00pm – 5:00pm |
| Thu 24 Sep | Hausa 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs | 9:30am – 11:30am |
| Thu 24 Sep | Hausa 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 11:30am – 12:30pm |
| Thu 24 Sep | Igbo 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs | 9:30am – 11:30am |
| Thu 24 Sep | Igbo 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 11:30am – 12:30pm |
| Thu 24 Sep | Yoruba 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs | 9:30am – 11:30am |
| Thu 24 Sep | Yoruba 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 11:30am – 12:30pm |
| Fri 25 Sep | Home Management 2 (Essay) | 1 hr | 9:30am – 10:30am |
| Fri 25 Sep | Home Management 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 10:30am – 11:30am |
| Mon 28 Sep | Physical Education 2 (Essay) | 1 hr 20 mins | 2:00pm – 3:20pm |
| Mon 28 Sep | Physical Education 1 (Objective) | 50 mins | 3:20pm – 4:10pm |
| Tue 29 Sep | Health Education / Health Science 3 (Alternative to Practical Work) | 1 hr 45 mins | 9:30am – 11:15am |
| Tue 29 Sep | Physical Education 3 (Theory of Practice) | 2 hrs | 2:00pm – 4:00pm |
| Wed 30 Sep | Visual Art 3A (Drawing) | 3 hrs | 2:00pm – 5:00pm |
| Sat 3 Oct | General Mathematics 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs 30 mins | 9:30am – 12:00pm |
| Sat 3 Oct | General Mathematics 1 (Objective) | 1 hr 30 mins | 2:00pm – 3:30pm |
| Mon 5 Oct | Chemistry 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs | 9:30am – 11:30am |
| Mon 5 Oct | Chemistry 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 11:30am – 12:30pm |
| Mon 5 Oct | Chemistry 3 (Alternative to Practical Work) | 1 hr 30 mins | 2:00pm – 3:30pm |
| Tue 6 Oct | Literature-in-English 2 (Prose) | 1 hr 15 mins | 9:30am – 10:45am |
| Tue 6 Oct | Literature-in-English 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 10:45am – 11:45am |
| Wed 7 Oct | Biology 2 (Essay) | 1 hr 40 mins | 9:30am – 11:10am |
| Wed 7 Oct | Biology 1 (Objective) | 50 mins | 11:10am – 12:00pm |
| Wed 7 Oct | Biology 3 (Alternative to Practical Work) | 2 hrs | 2:00pm – 4:00pm |
| Thu 8 Oct | Literature-in-English 3 (Drama and Poetry) | 2 hrs 30 mins | 2:00pm – 4:30pm |
| Fri 9 Oct | Christian Religious Studies 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs | 9:30am – 11:30am |
| Fri 9 Oct | Christian Religious Studies 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 11:30am – 12:30pm |
| Fri 9 Oct | Islamic Studies 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs | 9:30am – 11:30am |
| Fri 9 Oct | Islamic Studies 1 (Objective) | 50 mins | 11:30am – 12:20pm |
| Sat 10 Oct | Economics 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs | 9:30am – 11:30am |
| Sat 10 Oct | Economics 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 11:30am – 12:30pm |
| Sat 10 Oct | Visual Art 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs | 2:00pm – 4:00pm |
| Sat 10 Oct | Visual Art 1 (Objective) | 50 mins | 4:00pm – 4:50pm |
| Mon 12 Oct | Music 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs | 9:30am – 11:30am |
| Mon 12 Oct | Music 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 11:30am – 12:30pm |
| Mon 12 Oct | Arabic 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs | 2:00pm – 4:00pm |
| Mon 12 Oct | Arabic 1 (Objective) | 50 mins | 4:00pm – 4:50pm |
| Tue 13 Oct | Nigerian History 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs | 9:30am – 11:30am |
| Tue 13 Oct | Nigerian History 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 11:30am – 12:30pm |
| Tue 13 Oct | Commerce 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs | 2:00pm – 4:00pm |
| Tue 13 Oct | Commerce 1 (Objective) | 50 mins | 4:00pm – 4:50pm |
| Wed 14 Oct | Geography 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs | 9:30am – 11:30am |
| Wed 14 Oct | Geography 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 11:30am – 12:30pm |
| Wed 14 Oct | Geography 3 (Practical and Physical Geography) | 1 hr 50 mins | 2:30pm – 4:20pm |
| Thu 15 Oct | Physics 2 (Essay) | 1 hr 30 mins | 9:30am – 11:00am |
| Thu 15 Oct | Physics 1 (Objective) | 1 hr 15 mins | 11:00am – 12:15pm |
| Thu 15 Oct | Physics 3 (Alternative to Practical Work) | 2 hrs 45 mins | 2:00pm – 4:45pm |
| Fri 16 Oct | Marketing 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs | 9:30am – 11:30am |
| Fri 16 Oct | Marketing 1 (Objective) | 50 mins | 11:30am – 12:20pm |
| Sat 17 Oct | English Language 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs | 9:30am – 11:30am |
| Sat 17 Oct | English Language 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 11:30am – 12:30pm |
| Sat 17 Oct | English Language 3 (Test of Orals) | 45 mins | 2:00pm – 2:45pm |
| Tue 20 Oct | Foods and Nutrition 2 (Essay) | 1 hr 15 mins | 2:00pm – 3:15pm |
| Tue 20 Oct | Foods and Nutrition 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 3:15pm – 4:15pm |
| Wed 21 Oct | Agriculture 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs 10 mins | 9:30am – 11:40am |
| Wed 21 Oct | Agriculture 1 (Objective) | 50 mins | 11:40am – 12:30pm |
| Wed 21 Oct | Agriculture 3 (Alternative to Practical Work) | 1 hr 30 mins | 2:00pm – 3:30pm |
| Thu 22 Oct | Visual Art 3B (Creative Design) | 3 hrs | 9:30am – 12:30pm |
| Thu 22 Oct | French 2 (Essay) | 1 hr 15 mins | 9:30am – 10:45am |
| Fri 23 Oct | French 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 10:45am – 11:45am |
| Fri 23 Oct | Health Education / Health Science 2 (Essay) | 1 hr 30 mins | 3:30pm – 5:00pm |
| Fri 23 Oct | Health Education / Health Science 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 5:00pm – 6:00pm |
| Sat 24 Oct | Civic Education 2 (Essay) | 2 hrs | 9:30am – 11:30am |
| Sat 24 Oct | Civic Education 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 11:30am – 12:30pm |
| Tue 27 Oct | Music 3A (Aural) | 45 mins | 2:00pm – 2:45pm |
| Wed 28 Oct | Technical Drawing 3 (Sketches, Building and Mechanical Drawing) | 2 hrs 45 mins | 9:30am – 12:15pm |
| Wed 28 Oct | Technical Drawing 2 (Essay) | 1 hr 45 mins | 2:30pm – 4:15pm |
| Wed 28 Oct | Technical Drawing 1 (Objective) | 1 hr | 4:15pm – 5:15pm |
Notes From WAEC’s Timetable
- Question paper wins. Where the duration on a question paper differs from the timetable, WAEC says to follow the question paper.
- Visual Art 3 papers are issued early. For Paper 3A, instructions go to supervisors two weeks before the paper. For Paper 3B, question papers go to candidates two weeks before the paper.
- Extra time for candidates with special needs. They are to be allowed one and a half times the time allotted to other candidates.
- A note on the printed times. WAEC’s PDF prints several late-morning end times with “pm” (for example “9:30am – 11:30pm”). We have shown them as am, because each follows from the 9:30am start and the stated duration (for example 9:30am plus 2 hours is 11:30am). Check your photocard or admission notice if anything looks different.
Registration Status
Online registration for this series has closed. Sources disagree on the exact closing date: several report that the deadline for generating a registration PIN was extended from 31 July to Friday 28 August 2026, while one gives 18 September. Some sites report that walk-in registration at a higher fee was still possible. We could not confirm this, and fee figures differ between sources (₦27,000 is widely reported as the standard registration fee, while one platform lists a higher PIN price). WAEC’s timetable PDF says nothing about registration, so ask your nearest WAEC office if you are trying to enter late.
Results
WAEC had not published a results release date for this series in the sources we found. If you are also writing NECO’s equivalent exam, see our NECO GCE 2026 registration guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does WAEC GCE 2026 second series start and end?
The timetable runs from Friday 4 September to Wednesday 28 October 2026. Written papers began on Tuesday 22 September.
When is English Language in WAEC GCE 2026?
English Language Paper 2 (Essay) and Paper 1 (Objective) are on Saturday 17 October, from 9:30am. The Test of Orals (Paper 3) is the same day at 2:00pm.
When is General Mathematics?
Saturday 3 October 2026: Paper 2 (Essay) at 9:30am and Paper 1 (Objective) at 2:00pm.
What is the last paper in the WAEC GCE 2026 timetable?
Technical Drawing, on Wednesday 28 October 2026. Music 3A (Aural) is the paper before it, on Tuesday 27 October.
Is WAEC GCE the same as WASSCE for private candidates?
Yes. “WAEC GCE” is the popular name for the WASSCE for Private Candidates. WAEC’s own timetable calls it the “West African Senior School Certificate Examination for Private Candidates, 2026 – Second Series”.
Sources
- West African Examinations Council (Nigeria) — WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2026 – Second Series Final Timetable (PDF, August 2026) — waecnigeria.org
- Registration-status reports from independent education sites, including Exam Scholars, WAEC Timetable and The Gazette (August–October 2026), cross-read where they disagree
Timetable copied from WAEC Nigeria’s official final timetable PDF, checked on 8 October 2026. WAEC may issue amendments — confirm on your photocard or at waecnigeria.org. Last updated: 8 October 2026 · NaijaSabi Education Desk.
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