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•Minister says students adapting well to digital exams, but infrastructure gaps remain
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Federal Government has expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the ongoing Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (CBT-WASSCE), saying the exercise was largely successful as authorities consider a nationwide transition to digital examinations.
Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, gave the assessment yesterday after monitoring the CBT and paper-and-pencil examination centres at the Government Secondary School, Garki and Federal Government Boys’ College, Garki, Abuja.
She said the exercise had progressed smoothly in centres visited, with students demonstrating confidence in using the computer-based platform and no major technical glitches reported.
“I’m happy with what I have seen. This is the first time we are conducting the CBT examination in government schools of this nature and the students are comfortable with it,” she said.
According to the minister, interactions with candidates showed that students were adequately prepared for the digital format and experienced little difficulty navigating the examination system.
She disclosed that some CBT centres had already conducted multiple examination sessions successfully, attributing the smooth exercise to extensive pilot testing and software validation carried out before deployment.
“One thing we are certain about is that adequate pilot testing was done. Feedback indicates that this is already the seventh paper being written through the CBT platform in some centres and there have been no technical glitches affecting candidates’ access to examination questions,” she stated. Prof. Ahmad also said uninterrupted power supply had been sustained through alternative arrangements, including solar systems and generators, thereby reducing dependence on the national grid.
“Power has not been a challenge because schools were advised to rely on alternative sources. Some use solar power while others operate generators and that has supported a seamless process,” she added.
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Despite the encouraging performance of the CBT-WASSCE, the minister said the Federal Government would adopt a cautious and phased approach towards a full nationwide rollout of computer-based public examinations.
She explained that although authorities had initially projected a complete migration to CBT by 2026, infrastructure deficits in rural and underserved communities made an immediate nationwide implementation unrealistic.
According to her, schools selected for the CBT examinations are mainly institutions with functional ICT infrastructure and adequate computer systems capable of accommodating candidates across multiple sessions.
“The major criterion is the availability of functional ICT facilities. Schools must have enough computers to cater to their students. Where such facilities do not exist, we cannot yet implement CBT examinations,” she explained.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eventually digitising all public examinations but stressed that adequate infrastructure must first be put in place before announcing a definitive timeline for the full implementation.
“We are engaging the state governments and strengthening facilities in our federal unity colleges. The goal is to reach a stage where all examinations can be conducted through CBT, but the necessary infrastructure must be available before we get there,” she said.
At the paper-and-pencil examination centre at the Federal Government Boys’ College, Garki, Abuja, Prof. Ahmad commended the orderly conduct of candidates and invigilators, noting that the environment met acceptable standards for credible examinations.
She said: “I observed a proper examination atmosphere. The students were well spaced, focused and there was no unnecessary interaction among them. That is what we expect in a credible examination setting.”
She further noted that the monitoring visit formed part of the ongoing federal efforts to assess school preparedness and evaluate the effectiveness of the expanded CBT examination framework across the country.
