THE West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced that candidates for the November West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will have the option of choosing between Computer-Based Tests (CBT) and Paper-Based Tests.
According to media reports, the Head of the Council’s National Office (HNO) in Nigeria, Dr Amos Dangut, announced this on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Ibadan, Oyo State, while monitoring the ongoing WASSCE along with some principal officers of the Council.
He said the examination body had successfully conducted the first edition of the computer-based WASSCE, also called CB-WASSCE in January/February.
According to him, private candidates writing WASSCE in November will have the opportunity to choose between CB-WASSCE and a paper-based test.
“The examination, held in January and February, yielded better performance, compared to the previous year, with a significant decrease in malpractices from five per cent to 0.8 per cent.
“We are now gearing up for the upcoming private candidates’ examination in October and November, offering candidates the choice between the traditional pen and paper and the computer-based method,” Dangut said.
The HNO explained that the initiative was aimed at expanding Computer-Based examination to rural areas.
“It’s part of our plans to eventually implement Computer-Based examinations for all schools, in collaboration with the Federal Government and other stakeholders.
“We are also working on providing necessary facilities and training for schools to facilitate this transition,” he added.
The WAEC Chief said contrary to what belief, the transition to the CBT method was a success and had reduced malpractice rates significantly.
