By Funmilayo Adeyemi
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, says the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), is progressing smoothly, particularly in centres using the Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.
Ahmad said this on Wednesday in Abuja, after monitoring the conduct of the examination in selected schools using both CBT and paper-and-pencil formats.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister monitored the Government Secondary School, Garki , where CBT exams took place and the Federal Government Boy’s College, Garki where paper and pencil format applied.
The minister expressed satisfaction with the level of preparedness of candidates and the smooth conduct of the examination at the centres visited.
She said students appeared comfortable with the CBT platform and reported no difficulties in navigating the system.
“We have visited two schools, one using CBT and another using the paper-and-pencil format, for the conduct of the examination.
“I am happy with what I have seen. For the CBT examination which we are conducting in a government school for the first time, the students expressed satisfaction with the process.
“I spoke with some of them and they said they prepared for the CBT examination and had no issues using the computers,” she said.
The minister also commended the orderly conduct of candidates at the paper-and-pencil centre, describing the examination environment as conducive and compliant with examination standards.
According to her, candidates were adequately spaced and there was no evidence of malpractice during the examination.
Ahmad said extensive pilot testing conducted before the rollout of the CBT examination had helped to ensure the efficiency and reliability of the software being used.
She noted that candidates had already written seven papers using the CBT platform without any reported technical glitches.
“From the schools we visited, they confirmed that they have not experienced any software-related problems or difficulties in accessing examination questions.
“So far, the exercise has been going smoothly and we are encouraged by the feedback from the centres,” she said.
The minister added that adequate measures had been put in place to address possible power challenges during the examination.
According to her, schools participating in the CBT examination were equipped with alternative power sources, including solar systems and generators.
“Most of the schools are already relying on alternative power sources rather than regular electricity supply, so power failure is not a major concern.”
On the selection criteria for CBT centres, Ahmad said only schools with functional Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities and sufficient computer systems were considered.
She explained that many schools conducted the examination in multiple streams to accommodate their candidates.
“The major criterion is the availability of functional ICT facilities and adequate computers for students.
“Schools that do not have such facilities cannot participate in the CBT examination for now,” she said.
Ahmad recalled that the Federal Government had initially planned to migrate fully to CBT examinations in 2026, but had to adopt a gradual approach due to inadequate facilities in some communities.
She revealed that the government was engaging state governments and making preparations within federal unity colleges to expand CBT infrastructure nationwide.
According to her, a timeline for full migration to CBT examinations cannot be fixed until the necessary facilities are available across the country.
“We want to ensure that the required infrastructure is in place before embarking on full CBT examinations nationwide.” (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Deborah Coker
