The computer-based test (CBT) for the next West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has been rejected by the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF).
Anaedoonline.ng notes that WAEC has declared its intention to begin using CBT-based testing in its exams in 2024.
The association claimed in a statement released on Saturday and signed by its president, Yerima Shettima, that such an exam format will cause a great deal of failure among Northern students, particularly those from rural areas who lack computer literacy.
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According to him, WAEC ought to make it optional and provide applicants the alternative between the computer-based method and the conventional pen and paper format.
According to Shettima, these choices would enable students to select the exam format that best suits their comfort level.
According to Shettima, the choice must be made quickly in order to stop a high percentage of pupils failing out when they should have equal and fair chances to succeed.
He stated that studies carried out by the AYCF in a few northern states, including Zamfara, Jigawa, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, and Plateau, demonstrated that students enrolled in public schools, where computer literacy is frequently lacking, have regularly performed poorly on the CBT tests.
He said: “Even the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) CBT exams have placed underprivileged students in a predicament, as they struggle to answer questions in a format they are unfamiliar with.
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“Many students who failed the CBT-based JAMB exams last year argued that their failures were a result of systemic failures, including insufficient facilities or network failures during the exams.
“Additionally, a lack of proper and adequate computer skills, coupled with outdated desktop computers that are not properly maintained by CBT centres further exacerbate the situation.
“As the exams are timed, these delays significantly hinder the performance of students who otherwise possess sufficient knowledge of the content.
“In the light of these findings, the AYCF urgently calls upon the Ministry of Education, Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), and other relevant Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to unite and reject the planned CBT exams.”
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