The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum has called for the cancellation of the proposed Computer-Based Test format in the forthcoming West African Examinations Council examinations in the country.

According to the forum, introducing such a mode of examination will result in mass failure for students, particularly in rural areas where computer skills are scarce or completely absent.

INTEGRITY NEWS reports that the West African Examinations Council announced that it had ditched the paper and pencil test model and has adopted the Computer-Based Test mode for the conduct of the Senior School Certificate Examination.

This was contained in a statement signed by the acting head of the Public Affairs Unit of WAEC, Moyosola Adesina.

She claimed that it was in line with global best practices and informed all its stakeholders that it had concluded plans to migrate its WASSCE for Private Candidates Examination Diets from Paper and Pencil Tests to Computer Based Examinations.

The National President of AYCF, Yerima Shettima, in a statement released in Kaduna on Friday, said the CBT exams should have been optional, allowing candidates to choose between the traditional pen-and-paper format and the computer-based approach.

This, he argued, would have given students the opportunity to opt for the format they were most comfortable with and capable of attempting successfully.

Shettima added that research conducted by the forum in selected northern states such as Zamfara, Jigawa, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, and Plateau, revealed that the CBT exams had consistently led to misleading failure rates among students attending public schools, where computer skills were often not taught.

He said, “Even the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board – CBT exam has placed underprivileged students in a predicament as they struggle to answer questions in an unfamiliar format.

“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“Additionally, a lack of proper and adequate computer skills, coupled with outdated desktop computers that are not properly maintained by CBT centres, further exacerbated the situation.

“As the exams are timed, these delays significantly hinder the performance of students who otherwise possess sufficient knowledge of the content.”

He, therefore, called on the Ministry of Education, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, Christian Association of Nigeria, National Association of Nigerian Students and other relevant Civil Society Organisations to unite and reject the planned CBT exams.

He noted that the call became imperative to prevent a massive failure rate among students who deserved fair and equal opportunities for success.

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