By Olakunle Olafioye
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) relentless search for a lasting solution to a major problem that has eroded the integrity of the examinations conducted by the regional examination council for decades appears set to have given way to a new era in the history of the body.
Major examinations conducted by the body have been undermined by exam cheats who employed various unscrupulous means to beat the council to its game and tainted the outcomes of such examinations for many years.
But a new era may have dawned with the foremost examination body announcing a groundbreaking innovation aimed at enhancing the integrity of its examinations starting from this year’s Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE).
Dr Amos Josiah Dangut, the head of WAEC’s National Office, during a press briefing held at the organization’s headquarters in Yaba, Lagos a fortnight ago unveiled the council’s new reform targeted at curbing examination malpractice among candidates.
Dr Dangut revealed that WAEC for the first time would conduct a Computer-Based WASSCE (CB-WASSCE) for candidates, an innovation which will ensure that candidates in an examination hall would have different set of questions.
“We have adopted a novel approach where individual candidates will receive unique question sets for specific subjects. This innovation is part of our commitment to uphold academic integrity and aligns with the Federal Ministry of Education’s vision to modernize the education sector,” Dr Dangut explained.
WAEC’s resolve to embrace Computer Based examinations is coming 13 years after the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) adopted the same approach in a bold move aimed at fighting exam cheats.
JAMB introduced Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in 2013. While CBT was initially optional, it became the standard method for UTME administration in 2015, with all candidates taking the exam via CBT. Stakeholders in the nation’s education industry are of the opinion that this shift from paper-based exams by JAMB to CBT has improved the conduct of the examination and restored integrity in the results released by the board.
An educationist, Dr Yemisi Shofunde expressed optimism that the move by WAEC would equally go a long way in restoring sanity in the conduct of SSCE and WASSCE organised by the body.
“This reform is long overdue. Following the success JAMB has been able to record since it began the administration of the Unified Matriculation Examination (UTME) using the CBT option, one would have expected that WAEC and NECO would follow suit immediately. But as they say, ‘it is better late than never’. This innovation will go a long way to change the narrative in the council’s conduct of its examinations. I am confident the reform will help to curb, if not totally eliminate collusion and cheating in exam halls,” she stated.
Examination malpractice has been a major albatross WAEC and other examination bodies in the country have had to contend with for many years.
This year alone, a total of 547 schools will not be allowed to take part in the year’s SSCE for misdeeds bordering on examination malpractice. This problem, according to Dr. Shofunde may become a thing of the past with WAEC’s resolve to embrace the CBT option.
Shofunde stated that studies have shown that the CBT system is more beneficial as it helps not only to reduce examination malpractice, but also encourages computer literacy among students.
“Until the CBT was introduced over a decade ago computer literacy among Nigerian students especially those in secondary school preparing to sit for terminal examinations was abysmally low. And this was because most parents did not consider getting computers for their children or at least enroll their children/wards in computer schools as a thing of utmost necessity. But with the reality that their children or wards will sit for computer-based examinations, most parents are now beginning to have a change of opinion, which is good for our children,” she opined.
The announcement by WAEC to adopt CBT option, according to findings by Sunday Sun has elicited mixed reactions among candidates and teachers.
A teacher in one of the private schools in Lagos, Mr Patrick Ezebuike viewed the development as a welcome development, describing the innovation as a panacea to the problem of examination malpractices. “The adoption of CBT by WAEC is a welcome development. It will help to reduce cheating in examination halls and will also make students realize that there is no more shortcut to examination other than hard work and seriousness,” he said.
Speaking in the same vein, the Principal of Russell International School, Lagos, Mr Summonu Taofeek, lauded the initiative and urged the examination body to tighten all possible loose ends to avoid glitches that may derail the examination and deliver a hitch-free examination.
“I support the introduction of Computer-Based Testing for WASSCE wholeheartedly. This innovative approach will enhance examination security, make the process of conducting examinations more efficient and provide a more accurate assessment of students’ knowledge. CBT will also equip students with essential digital skills and prepare them for the future,” he stated.
For some students, however, the announcement came as a rude shock as many of them expressed the fear that with the examination date close by, students will be under intense pressure to be familiar with the use of computers in writing examinations.
An intending candidate, Monsurat Idowu, told Sunday Sun that she enrolled for CBT tutorial immediately she received the news, expressing doubt that most students, especially those in rural areas might not have the privilege to be familiar with basic knowledge of operating the computer before they get into examination hall.
But Mr Ezebuike disagreed with this submission, saying that the majority of the students preparing for the examination are familiar with CBT.
“I don’t agree with that assumption because I am aware that a good number of the candidates writing the ongoing SSCE also put in for JAMB and participated in the recently concluded mock UTME. Apart from this, there are various CBT apps online which they can access to practice. So there should not be any excuse,” he said.
The figure, according to WAEC, represents a balanced gender representation of 49.63 per cent male and 50.37 per cent female candidates.
The examination body said candidates who sat for the examination will be able to check their results 45 days after the examination is concluded.