WAEC To Introduce Computer Based Test Soon, Says HNO
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced that it is working on introducing the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode in the administration of its examinations.
The Head of National Office (HNO), Mr Patrick Areghan, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos.
According to Areghan, the CBT mode of examination is part of his vision for the council in the near future. He said that the council had already started planning and implementing the CBT mode in some of its examinations.
However, he noted that there were some challenges and limitations in conducting CBT for all types of examinations, especially the practical and essay papers.
He said that the council had to consider factors such as computer literacy, computer facilities and electricity supply in the schools and centres where the examinations would be held.
Also, he said that the council had to find a way to handle the issue of theory and practical papers using the CBT mode.
He said: “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. But 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. 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. We should be able to conduct CBT examinations, even if it means starting with the objective questions.”
Areghan said that under his watch, the council had concluded on introducing the CBT mode of examination in no distant time, starting with the objective questions and later theory and practicals.
He said: “So, I will like to see WAEC in that light.”
Areghan said that aside from introducing the CBT mode, he would also like to see all the operations of the council fully digitalised in the near future.
