The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced that a total of 8,285 candidates from across the country registered for the inaugural Computer-based model of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (CB-WASSCE).
Addressing journalists on the development, the head of the national office in Nigeria, Amos Dangut, said out of the total number of candidates, 3,949 are male, while 4,336 are female, representing 47.66 and 52.3 per cent respectively.
He added that candidates would be examined in 19 subjects, made up of 26 papers.
Giving further details, Dangut said the examination will be delivered in hybrid mode.
He noted that the hybrid mode entails that the objective or multiple choice questions will be rendered on-screen and candidates are to respond on the screen, while they give their responses to the essays and practical questions using the answer booklets provided.
“WAEC Nigeria, in keeping with its vision of being a world-class examining body and its core value of innovation, has taken this bold step to offer candidates a viable alternative to the pen and paper model of examinations while giving its stakeholders and public, a view of the great potentials that exist in computer-based approach to assessments,” he noted.
He added that WAEC, in a bid to further deliver on its mandate and as a way of helping candidates, has made available its e-learning portal on its official website with materials that would demonstrate the requirements for the conduct of the CB-WASSCE to candidates.
WAEC had in November 2023, announced plans to conduct its WASSCE for private candidates, using the computer-based model, which has been criticised by some groups.
The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYF), had called for the rejection of the new model.
The group said the new model would result in mass failure for students, especially those in rural areas, and who have little or no computer skills.
It argued that the CBT exams should have been optional, allowing candidates to choose between the pen-and-pencil format and the computer-based model.
Dangut explained that the CBT examination is for private candidates who enrolled directly with WAEC and not for school candidates.
He said the council would deploy the computer-based model for school candidates when the government and school owners are ready.
He noted that the number of candidates for the examination showed that private candidates are ready for the 21st-century challenges, adding that results will be released 45 days after the conduct of the last paper.
