The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is in the advanced stages of introducing the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode for the administration of its examinations, according to the Head of National Office (HNO), Patrick Areghan.
Mr. Areghan, who is set to complete his three-year tenure on October 1, revealed this in an interview with reporters. He discussed the achievements and advancements made by the council during his tenure.
Mr. Areghan emphasized that introducing CBT examinations had been part of his vision for the council’s future. He acknowledged that while this transition was underway, certain challenges needed to be addressed.
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He stated, “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.”
Mr. Areghan noted that issues such as computer literacy, access to computer facilities, and reliable electricity supply needed to be considered. He mentioned that despite these challenges, WAEC planned to introduce CBT examinations, starting with objective questions and later incorporating theory and practical papers.
He also mentioned the likelihood of having a segregated market, allowing schools that cannot afford CBT to continue using the traditional pencil and paper mode.
Additionally, Mr. Areghan expressed his desire to see all of the council’s operations fully digitized. He highlighted the digitalization of various sections of the council, including result checking and certificate verification.
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The outgoing WAEC boss also spoke about his aspiration to see WAEC become more visible on the international stage. He aimed to facilitate Nigerian children in the diaspora taking the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) overseas.
Furthermore, he hoped to expand the digital certificate system introduced in Nigeria to the entire sub-region, enabling candidates who have taken WASSCE to access their digital certificates worldwide.
Mr. Areghan considered the council’s Digital Security Printing Press as a milestone achievement during his tenure, along with other initiatives such as the staff bus scheme to alleviate the impact of high transportation costs.
Reflecting on his greatest achievement, Mr. Areghan emphasized the successful conduct of examinations, the timely release of results, and the issuance of certificates to deserving candidates as key accomplishments during his tenure.
(NAN)
