MAIDEN PRESS BRIEFING SPEECH OF DR. AMOS JOSIAH DANGUT MSTAN, MNIM, RAS, HEAD OF NATIONAL OFFICE, WAEC NIGERIA, ON CONDUCT OF THE FIRST EVER COMPUTER-BASED WEST AFRICAN SENIOR SCHOOLS CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION (CB-WASSCE) FOR PRIVATE CANDIDATES, 2024-FIRST SERIES
By Trek Africa Newspaper
Distinguished Gentlemen of the Press, on behalf of the Registrar to Council, the Management and Staff of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria, I heartily welcome you to this press briefing which is my first with you since I assumed office as Head of National Office.
You would recall that in November 2023, the Council, in a press release, announced that it had concluded plans to conduct its WASSCE for Private Candidates, using the computer-based model.
Examination Period
The conduct of the Computer Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (CB-WASSCE) for Private Candidates, 2024 – First Series, will take place from Wednesday, January 31 and end on Saturday, February 17, 2024, in Nigeria, spanning a period of two (2) weeks and four (4) days. Plans have therefore been concluded for this first-ever computer-based examination, which will be delivered in hybrid mode. The hybrid mode entails that, 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.
WAEC Nigeria, in keeping with its vision of being a world-class examining body and its core value of innovation, has taken this 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 potentials that exist in Computer-based approach to assessments.
This briefing is to inform you of our level of preparedness and readiness for the conduct of CB-WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2024 – First Series, in Nigeria.
Entries
The Council is encouraged by the acceptance of this innovation as evidenced in the number of entries received so far. As of today, Monday, January 29, 2024, a total of Eight Thousand Two Hundred and Eighty-Five (8285) candidates from across the Federation have registered for the examination. Out of this number, Three Thousand Nine Hundred and Forty- Nine (3,949) are male, representing (47.66%) while Four Thousand Three Hundred and Thirty -Six (4336) are female, representing (52.3%) of the total candidature. Candidates would be examined in 19 subjects, made up of 26 papers. For the successful conduct of the examination and to curb examination malpractices, carefully selected examination officials have been trained by the Council to serve as Proctors during the conduct of the examination.
e-Learning Portal
WAEC, in a bid to further deliver on its mandate and as a way of helping candidates, 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. Candidates can also use that to acquaint themselves with relevant information on demand and upon enquiry.
Release of Results
The results of candidates who sit the examination will be released 45 days after the conduct of the last paper, while duly awarded certificates will be available on request via certrequest.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.
The Road to January 31, 2024
Gentlemen of the Press, the Council is aware that the news of this innovation was initially greeted with some level of resistance. 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 undergirding 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 the 23rd and 24th of January 2024. The Final International Timetable for the conduct of the examination has been made available for proper and necessary guidance to prospective candidates. In addition to the wide publicity that has been given to the examination via mass media outlets, social media has also been abuzz with news of the CB-WASSCE and the modalities for the conduct.
Contributions of WAEC To Education via ICT WAEC being the foremost examining body, adding value to the educational goals of its stakeholders, has not rested on its oars, since the past seventy-one years of its existence. The Council has continued to improve its service delivery across the board, by leveraging Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the dynamic industry of assessment. Great strides have been made in the following areas:
Digital Certificate
It is no longer news that the Council has a platform that allows candidates to access, confirm and share their original WAEC Certificate. More interestingly is the fact that candidates can now access their certificates as results are being released.
2. Computer-Based Testing Services
WAEC offers reliable, Computer-Based Testing and Aptitude Testing Services to the general public, both at the WAEC Testing and Training Centre, Ogba – an edifice that boasts of state-of-the-art facilities, and the Aptitude Tests Department, Yaba. These services are available for stakeholders and prospective clients/customers who wish to engage the services of WAEC for its computer-based testing services.
3. EDUSTAT
This enables interested stakeholders to access WAEC statistics online. It is very useful for researchers, organizations and governments at all levels.
4. WAEC Chatbot
All WAEC services can be accessed online and in real-time through the WAEC Request Management Portal (WAEC CHATBOT) by logging online to www.request.waec.org, or, via WhatsApp with the following numbers:
– 08179439269
– 07061741253
5. WAEC Verify
This provides online access to tertiary institutions and other establishments, for the verification of prospective students’/applicants’ results.
CONCLUSION
Gentlemen of the Press, we are set for the conduct of CB-WASSCE for Private Candidates, in 2024. We have and will always work hand-in-hand with the Federal Ministry of Education, the various State Ministries of Education, the Nigeria Police Force, other security agencies and stakeholders, to deliver, as usual, a credible examination to the Nigerian Child and the general public.
We remain ever grateful to the Honourable Minister of Education, the Honourable Minister of State for Education, all the State Ministries of Education, and all stakeholders, for their usual support and cooperation, even as we count on them once again.
Finally, Gentlemen of the Press, we cherish your partnership and we charge you to continue partnering with us to ensure the successful conduct of the first-ever CB-WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2024 – First Series.
I thank you all for honouring our invitation, even at very short notice.
All thanks and glory to God.
God bless WAEC Nigeria and God bless us all.
