The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has claimed that the adoption of computer-based tests in the forthcoming West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) would lead to a massive failure in the country, particularly in the Northern part of the country.
This was stated by the National President of AYCF, Yerima Shettima, in a statement released in Kaduna State on Friday, while urging the examination body to either out-rightly cancel the CBT format or make it optional.
Shettima stated that he was making this appeal due to a lack of computer skills and understanding, as well as a lack of ICT infrastructure in most secondary schools in northern states.
He claimed that the CBT exams should have been voluntary, giving applicants the option of using the traditional pen-and-paper style or the computer-based technique.
This, he said, would have allowed pupils to choose the format with which they were most comfortable and capable of succeeding.
Shettima went on to say that the Forum's research in Zamfara, Jigawa, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, and Plateau revealed that the CBT exams consistently resulted in misleading failure rates among students attending public schools, where computer skills were often not taught.
“Even the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board CBT exams have placed underprivileged students in a predicament as they struggle to answer questions in a format they are unfamiliar with.
“Many students who failed the CBT-based JAMB exams last year argued that their failures were a result of systemic failures, including insufficient facilities or network failures during the exams. Additionally, a lack of proper and adequate computer skills, coupled with outdated desktop computers that are not properly maintained by CBT centres further exacerbate the situation,” he added.
He noted that the call became imperative to prevent a massive failure rate among students who deserved fair and equal opportunities for success.
In September 2023, SaharaReporters reported that the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) stated that it intends to use the Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode to conduct its examinations.
Mr Patrick Areghan, WAEC's Head of National Office (HNO), hinted to something in an interview with newsmen.
Areghan had indicated that using CBT to administer some of the council's assessments was part of his vision for the organisation.
”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 the council is also doing something,” he said.
He had said the CBT was not as easy for WAEC as people thought.
