WAEC intensifies effort to introduce e-assessment for its examinations

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) says it is intensifying efforts to introduce the application of e-assessment for its examinations in the near future.

The Head of National Office (HNO), Mr Olu Adenipekun, said this at a news conference while announcing results of the 2018 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for Private Candidates (Second Series), on Wednesday in Calabar.

According to him, the council is steadily realising the need for the application of electronic assessment for its examinations, considering the fact that the world has been reduced to a global village.

“We are doing everything possible to play the required roles as far as e-testing is concerned in the country.

“But remember, WAEC is established to test the achievement of candidates in a given syllabus.

“So to that effect, we must realise that it is only when we have e-teaching in our secondary schools that this can be speedily enforced.

“For us to be able to introduce this much desired e-testing, therefore, we must be able to collectively remove all road blocks. E-learning must, for instance, be in place in all schools to effectively equip students with computer skills.

“Our examinations are not selection tests nor aptitude tests but achievement tests, and so there is the need for us to jointly come together to see how we can set up modern examination halls across the country with all e-testing facilities fully in place,” Adenipekun said.

He said that WAEC was viewing e-testing as a product of e-learning as thus will require candidates to all questions using the computer.

Giving a breakdown of the results, the HNO said a total of 112,567 registered for the examination.

He said of this figure, only 109,902 candidates sat for the examination nationwide, with 107,749 of them having their results fully processed.

According to him, 2,153 others have their results still being processed.

Adenipekun said the development was due to errors traceable to the candidates in the course of registration or while writing the examination.

He said that such errors were being corrected by the council to enable affected candidates get their results fully processed and released subsequently.

The HNO, however, noted that some cases of malpractice were equally reported during the conduct of the examination, but said that the number was insignificant compared to what was obtained during the conduct of its diet for schools.

He attributed the reduction in the level of examination malpractice during the examination to the availability of staff of the council while the examination lasted.

Giving more details of the results, the HNO said that 63,037 candidates obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects with or without English Language and or Mathematics.

He said that 39,557 of the candidates who sat for the examination obtained credits and above in a minimum in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

Adenipekun said that a total of 138 candidates with varying degrees of special needs registered and sat for the examination.
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Of the number, he said 42 were visually challenged, while 29 others had hearing impairment.

He said that 13 others with low vision, two who were spastic cum mentally-challenged and 12 others who were physically challenged also sat for the examination.

“All these candidates with special needs were adequately provided for in the administration of the examination.

“The results of these candidates have been fully processed and released along with those of other candidates,” Adenipekun said.

He said that the result which was initially planned to be announced on Tuesday Nov. 20, was postponed as a result of the Eid celebration.

The HNO, however, noted that the results were already accessible online on the council’s site.