Abuja: The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, says the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is progressing smoothly, particularly in centres using the Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the minister made these remarks on Wednesday in Abuja after monitoring the conduct of the examination in selected schools using both CBT and paper-and-pencil formats. Prof. Ahmad visited the Government Secondary School, Garki, where CBT exams were conducted, as well as the Federal Government Boy’s College, Garki, which used the paper-and-pencil method.
Prof. Ahmad expressed satisfaction with the level of preparedness of candidates and the smooth conduct of the examination at the centres visited. She noted that students appeared comfortable with the CBT platform and reported no difficulties in navigating the system.
Prof. Ahmad stated, ‘We have visited two schools, one using CBT and another using the paper-and-pencil format, for the conduct of the examination. I am happy with what I have seen. For the CBT examination which we are conducting in a government school for the first time, the students expressed satisfaction with the process. I spoke with some of them and they said they prepared for the CBT examination and had no issues using the computers.’
The minister also commended the orderly conduct of candidates at the paper-and-pencil centre, describing the examination environment as conducive and compliant with examination standards. She highlighted that candidates were adequately spaced and there was no evidence of malpractice during the examination.
Prof. Ahmad further explained that extensive pilot testing conducted before the rollout of the CBT examination had helped ensure the efficiency and reliability of the software being used. She noted that candidates had already written seven papers using the CBT platform without any reported technical glitches.
She added, ‘From the schools we visited, they confirmed that they have not experienced any software-related problems or difficulties in accessing examination questions. So far, the exercise has been going smoothly and we are encouraged by the feedback from the centres.’
The minister emphasized that adequate measures had been put in place to address possible power challenges during the examination. Schools participating in the CBT examination were equipped with alternative power sources, including solar systems and generators.
Prof. Ahmad explained that the selection criteria for CBT centres included only schools with functional Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities and sufficient computer systems. She mentioned that many schools conducted the examination in multiple streams to accommodate their candidates.
She recalled that the Federal Government had initially planned to migrate fully to CBT examinations in 2026, but had to adopt a gradual approach due to inadequate facilities in some communities. The government is engaging state governments and making preparations within federal unity colleges to expand CBT infrastructure nationwide.
Prof. Ahmad concluded that a timeline for full migration to CBT examinations cannot be fixed until the necessary facilities are available across the country. ‘We want to ensure that the required infrastructure is in place before embarking on full CBT examinations nationwide.’