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•To release results within 45 days
By Dike Gabriel
The management of West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on Monday said the maiden Computer-based exam for first series private candidates, 2024 will start tomorrow (Wednesday).
•L-R: Mrs. E. N. Onodu, senior deputy registrar Test Administration, Mrs. Moyosola Adesina, acting Public Affairs, Dr. Dangut and Mr. S.D. Kum, acting director of admin at briefing on CB-WASSCE 2024
WAEC Head of National Office (HNO), Dr. Amos Josiah Dangut, who disclosed this in Lagos, said the exam would be conducted nationwide in approved CBT centers.
Dangut, who was flanked by WAEC management staff, disclosed that 8, 285 private candidates would write the computer-based from January 31st to February 15th, 2024.
He assured Nigerians that the council has concluded arrangements to conduct a hitch-free computer-based adding that exam supervisors were carefully selected to handle the first computer-based WASSCE.
He added: “The conduct of the Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (CB-WASSCE) for private candidates, 2024 – first series, will take place from Wednesday, January 31 and end on Saturday, February 17, 2024, in Nigeria, spanning a period of two weeks and four days. “Plans have therefore been concluded for this first-ever computer-based examination, which will be delivered in hybrid mode. The hybrid mode entails that, the objective or multiple-choice questions will be rendered on-screen and candidates are required to give their responses on the screen.
“The essay and practical questions will be rendered on-screen, likewise, but candidates will be required to give their responses using the answer booklets provided.”
According to him, WAEC Nigeria, in keeping with its vision of being a world-class examining body and its core value of innovation, has taken the bold step to offer candidates a viable alternative to the pen and paper model of examinations while giving its stakeholders and publics, a view of the great potentials that exist in computer-based approach to assessments.
“This briefing is to inform you of our level of preparedness and readiness for the conduct of CB-WASSCE for private candidates, 2024 – first series, in Nigeria,” Dangut stated.
The HNO said the council is encouraged by the acceptance of the innovation as evidenced in the number of entries received, “as of today, Monday, January 29, 2024, 8,285 candidates from across the Federation have registered for the examination.
He confirmed that out of the registered number, 3,949 are male, representing 47.66% while 4336 are female, representing 52.3% of the total candidature.
WAEC boss revealed that candidates would be examined in 19 subjects, made up of 26 papers, noting, “for the successful conduct of the examination and to curb examination malpractices, carefully selected examination officials have been trained by the council to serve as proctors during the conduct of the examination.”
The HNO explained that the results of candidates, who sit for the examination, would be released 45 days after the conduct of the last paper, while awarded certificates would be available on request via certrequest.waec.org.ng. Similarly, candidates can access digital copies of their certificates via the WAEC Digital Certificate portal by logging on to www.waec.org.
Dangut said the council is aware that the news of this innovation was initially greeted with some level of resistance, adding, “this only served as fuel for the council to forge ahead on its course to conduct the CB-WASSCE.”
He stressed that the CBT centres where the examination would be hosted across the nation were inspected with checklists and equipped with servers for the duration of the conduct of the examination.
“Trial Tests were conducted across the Federation and a free mock examination was also conducted for registered candidates on the 23rd and 24th of January 2024.
“The Final International Timetable for the conduct of the examination has been made available for proper and necessary guidance to prospective candidates. In addition to the wide publicity that has been given to the examination via mass media outlets, social media has also been abuzz with news of the CB-WASSCE and the modalities for the conduct,” he noted.
The WAEC boss said the council are set for the conduct of CB-WASSCE for private candidates, in 2024 and that the council would work hand-in-hand with the Federal Ministry of Education, the various state Ministries of Education, the Nigeria Police Force, other security agencies and stakeholders, to deliver, a credible examination to the Nigerian child and the general public.
