Funmi Ogundare
As the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) commences the maiden Computer Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (CB-WASSCE) for private candidates 2024 – first series today, the Head of National Office (HNO), Dr. Amos Dangut, stated that
8,285 candidates from across the country have so far registered for it.
He said the examination which will be conducted between January 31 and February 17, will be delivered in hybrid mode.
In his maiden briefing with journalists in Lagos, Dangut explained that the hybrid mode which entails the objective or multiple choice questions will be rendered on-screen and candidates are required to give their responses on the screen.
“The essay and practical questions will be rendered on-screen, likewise, but candidates will be required to give their responses using the answer booklets provided,” he stated.
He said that the council has taken the bold step to offer candidates a viable alternative to the pen and paper model of examinations, while giving its stakeholders and publics, a view of the great potential that exist in computer-based approach to assessments.
The HNO stated that the candidates would be examined in 19 subjects, made up of 26 papers, adding that to ensure the successful conduct of the examination and curb examination malpractices, carefully selected examination officials have been trained by the council to serve as proctors during the conduct.
He said that the results of the candidates will be released 45 days after the last paper, while duly awarded certificates will be available on request via centrequest.waec.org.ng.
“Similarly, candidates can access digital copies of their certificates via the WAEC digital certificate portal by logging on to www.waec.org.”
He recalled that the council is aware that the news of this innovation was initially greeted with some level of resistance, saying this only served as fuel for the council to forge ahead on its course to conduct the CB-WASSCE.
“WAEC as an organisation with the core values of excellence, integrity and professionalism undergurding its processes, analysed its plans, identified possible hiccups and provided solutions thereto. The CBT centres where the examination would be hosted across the nation were inspected with checklists and equipped with servers for the duration of the conduct of the examination.
“Trial tests were conducted across the federation and a free mock examination was also conducted for registered candidates on January 23 and 24. The final international timetable for the conduct of the examination has been made available for proper and necessary guidance to prospective candidates,” he said.
While calling on the public to collaborate with the council and security forces in the country to ensure the successful conduct of the examination, the HNO said the council has made available its e-learning portal with materials that will demonstrate to candidates, the requirements for the conduct of the CB-WASSCE.
“Candidates should visit https://www.waeconline.org.ng/e-Learning/index.htm to access the portal. In addition, a tutorial video on how to navigate the examination portal is available on all our social media platforms,” he stated.
