The Head of National Office, HNO, of the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, Patrick Areghan has said that plans are in motion to transition the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, to a computer-based test.
Areghan, whose tenure as the HNO elapses in October, said the examination body has “gone far” with the process.
“We have already started something in terms of CBT examination. We have gone far with our planning and all of that. Even in the sub region, the registrar to council is also doing something,” he told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Saturday.
Areghan, however, said the conduct of CBT examination will not be easy, especially as the body conduct practicals and essay papers for students and insufficient computer facility in schools.
“This is not as easy as some people will think. This is because we ask ourselves, ‘how do we conduct CBT for practicals and essay papers?’ We can only readily do that in the case of objective questions,” he said.
“But so many people will not see it from that angle. They argue that some others are doing it, why can’t WAEC do same? Now, no one even talks about energy; how many schools are exposed to computer literacy? How many have computer facilities and how many have electricity to run these things?”
“Even where you have all these things on ground, how do you handle the issue of theory and practical papers? So, these are the issues, but that is what I want the council to do in the very near future.”
Despite the challenges, the HNO stated that the council will start with objective questions only and will consider schools that may not be able to afford the conduct of the CBT-based examination.
“We should be able to conduct CBT examinations, even if it means starting with the objective questions,” he said.
“But you can still be sure that not all schools will be ready. Maybe we can have a segregated market. Those who cannot afford the CBT will go for the pencil and paper mode.”
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