The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, has described the ongoing Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (CBT-WASSCE) as a major success, saying it marks an important step in Nigeria’s gradual shift toward digital examinations.
She made the remark on Wednesday after inspecting both CBT and traditional paper-and-pencil examination centres at Government Secondary School, Garki, and Federal Government Boys’ College, Garki, Abuja. During the visit, she observed candidates writing their exams and interacting with officials overseeing the process.
Prof. Ahmad said students appeared confident and comfortable using the CBT platform, noting that feedback gathered directly from candidates showed they had no difficulty navigating the system. She added that the examination environment was orderly and conducive, with officials ensuring proper conduct.
“I’m happy with what I have seen. This is the first time we are conducting the CBT examination in a government school of this nature, and the students are happy with it. I spoke with some of them, and they confirmed they prepared for the examination and had no issues using the computers,” she said.
The minister also noted that the CBT centres visited had successfully conducted several exam sessions without major technical challenges. She attributed this to extensive pilot testing and software checks carried out before full deployment, adding that in some centres, up to seven papers had already been written without glitches affecting candidates.
She further explained that alternative power sources such as solar systems and generators had been deployed in many schools to ensure uninterrupted examinations. While acknowledging progress, she said the federal government’s full transition to CBT-based examinations would remain gradual due to infrastructure gaps, especially in rural areas, stressing that only schools with adequate ICT facilities are currently eligible for the exercise.
Elijah Adeyemi
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