The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has urged the cancellation of the proposed computer-based test (CBT) format in the upcoming West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE/WAEC) in Nigeria, News About Nigeria reports.
The forum argues that adopting a CBT mode for the exams would lead to mass failure, especially in rural areas of northern states where computer skills are limited.
In a statement released in Kaduna on Friday, Yerima Shettima, the National President of AYCF, said that the CBT exams should have been optional.
According to Shettima, allowing candidates to choose between the traditional pen-and-paper format and the computer-based approach would enable them to opt for the format they are most comfortable with and capable of attempting successfully.
Shettima pointed out that research conducted by the forum in selected northern states, including Zamfara, Jigawa, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, and Plateau, revealed that CBT exams consistently resulted in misleading failure rates among students in public schools, where computer skills were often not taught.
He stated, “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. Many students who failed the CBT-based JAMB exams last year argued that their failures were a result of systemic issues, including insufficient facilities or network failures during the exams.”
Shettima said that a lack of proper and adequate computer skills, combined with outdated desktop computers not properly maintained by CBT centres, exacerbates the challenges faced by students.
The AYCF called for the cancellation of the CBT format to prevent a massive failure rate among students and ensure fair and equal opportunities for success.
