WAEC announces plans to introduce CBT for WASSCE exams

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is in the advanced stages of implementing the Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode for conducting examinations, as revealed by the Head of National Office, Patrick Areghan, during an interview with reporters in Lagos on Saturday, according to Naija News.

Areghan emphasized that incorporating the CBT mode into some of the council’s examinations aligns with his long-standing vision for the organization. He acknowledged the challenges associated with this transition, particularly concerning practicals and essay papers in CBT. Areghan stressed the need to address issues related to energy availability, computer literacy among schools, and the requisite facilities and infrastructure.

He expressed the council’s commitment to gradually introduce CBT examinations, starting with objective questions and later incorporating theory and practical papers. Areghan further highlighted the broader vision of fully digitizing all operations of the council in the near future, with significant progress already made in digitalizing various sections under his leadership.

“I have almost digitalised everywhere now. Talk of certificate, checking of results, verification of results and more.

“I will live to see more massive deployment of technology so that the vision of the council can change from just being a world-class examination body to a technology-driven examination body.

“I also want WAEC to be more visible on the international stage. I want to see, through the cooperation of the sub-region, how we can take WAEC overseas, that is, how Nigerian children in the diaspora can sit for WASSCE overseas.

“That, again, is what I want WAEC to do in the very near future. That is one thing I wanted to do under my watch, but, again, like I said, it needs the cooperation of the sub-region, not just Nigeria, to take WASSCE overseas.

“I also want to see its digital certificate that we have successfully launched in Nigeria replicated in the entire sub-region, so that any candidate that has taken WASSCE, can be in any part of the world to access the digital certificate; that is a legacy.

“For instance, if your certificate gets missing, soaked, destroyed by fire and so on, with one touch on the bottom, it appears.

“For me, this is a great legacy,” the WAEC boss stated.