The West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) will soon be conducted online, according to a statement from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in Nigeria.
It stated that the computer-based exam (CBE) for private candidates (first series) will begin in February of the next year.
The decision was made on Monday by Mr. Amos Dangut, Head of WAEC Nigeria’s National Office, in a statement provided to reporters by the organization’s spokesperson, Mrs. Moyosola Adesina.
The switch from paper and pencil to computer-based examination (CBE) for the WASSCE for Private Candidates Examination Diets, according to WAEC, is in accordance with international best practices.
According to the organisation, “The Essay and Test of Practical papers will be hybrid, in which the examination questions will be delivered on screen and candidates will be required to write answers on the answer booklets given to them. While the Objective tests will now be fully computer based.”
It went on to say that although registration for the exam is scheduled to start on December 18, 2023, it would be held in urban areas or cities and that candidates with special requirements have also been taken into consideration in the plan.
Thus, plans have been finalized for a mock exam to be held in February 2024, before to the exam’s start date, to allow candidates to become acquainted with the new testing platform.
Although the council advises all potential candidates to sharpen their computer skills and ensure they are adequately prepared for the CBE, it announced that all of its tests will soon be administered electronically.