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Tag: WAEC

  • WAEC set to introduce CBT for WASSCE

    WAEC set to introduce CBT for WASSCE

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) says plans to introduce the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode in the administration of its examinations are at advanced stage.
    The Head of National Office (HNO), Mr Patrick Areghan, gave the hint in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos.
    Areghan was speaking against the backdrop of notable achievements and advancements of the council under his watch, as he prepared to bow out of office on Oct. 1.
    He would be bowing out after completing his three-year tenure.
    Areghan said that introducing the CBT mode of administrating some of the council’s examination had been part of his vision for the body in the near future.
    ”We have already started something in terms of CBT examination. We have gone far with our planning and all of that, even in the sub region, the registrar to council is also doing something.
    “But this is not as easy as some people will think. This is because we ask ourselves, how do we conduct CBT for practicals and essay papers?
    “We can only readily do that in the case of objective questions. But so many people will not see it from that angle. They argue that some others are doing it, why can’t WAEC do same.
    “Now, no one even talks about energy;  how many schools are exposed to computer literacy? How many have computer facilities and how many have electricity to run these things?
    “Even where you have all these things on ground, how do you handle the issue of theory and practical papers? So, these are the issues, but that is what I want the council to do in the very near future.
    “We should be able to conduct CBT examinations, even if it means starting with the objective questions,” he said.
    The outgoing WAEC boss noted that already, the council had concluded on introducing the administration of its examination using the CBT platform under his watch, in no distant time, starting with the objective questions  and later theory and practicals.
     “But you can still be sure that not all schools will be ready. Maybe we can have a segregated market. Those who cannot afford the CBT will go for the pencil and paper mode.
    “So, I will like to see WAEC in that light,” he said.
    Areghan said asides the introduction of the  CBT,  he would also like to see all  the operations of the council fully digitalised in the near future.
    He noted that almost every section of the council had been digitalised under his watch.
    “I have almost digitalised everywhere now. Talk of certificate, checking of results and verification of results and more.
    “I will live to see more massive deployment of technology so that the vision of council can change from just being a world class examination body to a technology-driven examination body.
    “I also want WAEC to be more visible in the international stage. I want to see, through the cooperation of the sub region, how we can take WAEC overseas,  that is, how Nigerian children in the diaspora can sit for WASSCE overseas.
    “That, again, is what I want WAEC to do in the very near future. That is one thing I wanted to do under my watch, but, again like I said, it needs the cooperation of the sub region, not just Nigeria, to take WASSCE overseas.
    “I also want to see its digital certificate that we have successfully launched in Nigeria replicated in the entire sub region, so that any candidate that has taken WASSCE,  can be in any part of the world to access the  digital certificate; that is a legacy.
    “For instance, if your certificate gets missing, soaked, destroyed by fire and so on, with one touch on the bottom, it appears.
    “For me, this is a great legacy,” the WAEC boss stated.
    He also stated that the council’s Digital Security Printing Press is another milestone achievement under his watch.
    According to him, after 71 years of council’s existence  the introduction of the digital security printing press is a worthy legacy.
    This is alongside other internal ones, such as the Staff Bus scheme, meant to cushion the effect of high transportation fare, occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal, he said.
    “We are going to do more to motivate staff. I am counting on my successor to follow suit, being a very committed and intelligent person. It is my prayer that he achieves more than me,” he stated.
    Speaking on his greatest achievement, Areghan highlighted the successful conduct of examinations, release of results within stipulated time and printing and release of certificates to deserving candidates as key.
    “That is my greatest achievement. That is because when you work in the council and you fail to conduct any examination, no matter the other levels of achievements, you have failed.
    “So, I give God all the glory that I have been able to conduct all the examinations, even in the COVID-19 years, from 2020 to 2023,” the outgoing council boss told NAN.
  • BREAKING: WAEC releases 2023 SSCE results

    BREAKING: WAEC releases 2023 SSCE results

    The West African Examination Council has announced the release of the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates.

    WAEC released the result on Monday, August 7, 2023.

    Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, Head of Nigeria Office, Mr Patrick Areghan said, “Gentlemen of the media, with joy in my heart and gratitude to God Almighty, I, on behalf of the Registrar to Council, the Management and Staff of the West African Examinations Council, Nigeria, welcome you to this press briefing to announce the release of the results of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination for School Candidates, 2023 in Nigeria.”

    “Out of a total of 1,613,733 candidates that sat for the examination, the results of 262,803 candidates are being withheld “due to reports of cases of examination malpractice.”

    “The WASSCE for School Candidates, 2023 spanned seven (07) weeks, from May 8 to June 23, 2023.”

  • Jandor’s counsel accuses WAEC official of compromising evidence against Sanwo-Olu

    Jandor’s counsel accuses WAEC official of compromising evidence against Sanwo-Olu

    Mr. Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), the lead counsel for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr Abdulazeez Adediran,  has accused the West African Examination Council (WAEC) official of compromising evidence in his testimony.

    The official was subpoenaed by the court to give evidence on the controversy surrounding the qualification of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

    Onwuenwunor accused Mr Olaolu Adekanmbi, the WAEC official, who was subpoenaed by the tribunal at his instance, of not being truthful in his evidence.

    The petitioner’s counsel told the tribunal that the evidence of the witness was adverse to its earlier findings after a search on WAEC’s online result verification portal which had allegedly indicated the absence of the governor’s names and result on it.

    Jandor’s counsel also applied to the tribunal for leave to cross examine the witness in order to challenge the accuracy of the WAEC official’s evidence.

    “There is a major conflict between what the witness has just brought and what we earlier tendered which was also issued by WAEC.

    “Our search before the polls had discovered that the governor had no result on WAEC’s portal and now this witness is bringing something different which contradicts their earlier position.

    “He is not being a witness of truth.

    “He has also refused to give more evidence on what he presented, and said the council does not produce hard copy of certificates or retain duplicate certificates,” he said.

    Earlier, the witness had presented a document bearing a May/June O’level result with the name of the governor issued in 1981 by Ijebu Ife Community Grammar School.

    Three member tribunal headed by Justice Arum Ashom admitted the document among the list of exhibits before it, into evidence.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) counsel, Mr Adetunji Oyeyipo (SAN), described the petitioner’s grouse as a storm in a teacup.

    He said: “This witness has made two contradictory statements.

    “There is nothing to warrant treating him as a hostile witness.

    “At the very best, he has only given evidence not palatable to my learned friend.

    “We urge you to refuse the application of the petitioner,”

    Dr Muiz- Banire (SAN) representing Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, who were the second and third respondents in the petition, also aligned himself with INEC’s position.

    “Exhibit P36 is a product of one Ijebu Ife community Grammar School, not WAEC while exhibit b2 is a product of one Grandex Ventures Ltd., not WAEC.

    “No one has led evidence to establish the authenticity of that portal so the attachment to it is totally unreliable.

    “No witness has even testified on the said Grandex, section 230 of the Evidence Act does not avail the petitioner the right to seek leave of court to declare the witness hostile,” Banire said.

    However, Labour party and its candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, urged the Tribunal to grant the petitioner’s request.

    They argued that the witness was being hostile to the truth and exhibited animosity.

    The Tribunal, in its ruling,  held that the petitioner could not cross-examine the witness and that the exhibit containing the findings from the portal could not be linked to WAEC directly.

    The tribunal, thereafter, ordered other counsel to cross examine the WAEC official.

    The witness told the tribunal during cross examination that the governor was found to have been entitled to a certificate issued by the school in question and that the online portal did  not exist as at 1981.

    He said: “Since there was no portal in 1981, this master list of 581 candidates that sat for the exam at the school is the primary information that will be fed into the result verification portal.

    “I think electronic registration of candidates started in 2004.

    “For migrating results, we have three portals and the council does not retain duplicate copies of certificates.”

    The tribunal adjourned until July 4 for continuation of hearing.

  • WAEC announces start date for 2023 SSCE

    WAEC announces start date for 2023 SSCE

    The start date for the 2023 school-based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) has been announced by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

    According to WAEC, this year’s exam will commence on Monday, May 8 and will run till  Friday, June 23.

    WAEC made this known at a pre-examination press briefing on Thursday in Lagos State.

    The Head of National Office, Patrick Areghan, stated that a total of 1,621,853 candidates across 20,851 government and private schools registered for the examination.

    Similarly, WAEC has cautioned the examination officials, particularly the supervisors, to guide against any form of misconduct in their centres.The deputy registrar and Ikeja zonal coordinator of WAEC, Dr Amos Dangut, gave the advice at a workshop at the Government Secondary School, Agege, to sensitise the supervisors on the ‘dos and don’ts’ expected of them and candidates during the upcoming examination.

    The supervisors comprise secondary school principals and teachers nominated by the various state ministries of education to help the WAEC to conduct its examinations at various centres and ensure the exercise is hitch-free.

     

    Speaking further, Dangut charged the supervisors to understand their roles, which according to him include, educating their students who are the candidates and the invigilators who are the teaching staff as well as the principals on the rules and regulations governing the conduct of the examination.

  • WAEC sanctions: Kogi govt. vows to prosecute perpetrators

    WAEC sanctions: Kogi govt. vows to prosecute perpetrators

    The Kogi Government on Friday, vowed to prosecute perpetrators of examination malpractice that led to sanctions on the state by the West African Examination Council (WAEC).

    The state’s Commissioner For Education, Science and Technology, Mr Wemi Jones, gave the assurance at the 2023 WAEC briefing of Principals, Supervisors and Examination officers in Ayigba.

    According to the commissioner, every individual involved in examination misconduct that led to WAEC’s sanctions in time past will be made to face the law after thorough investigation.

    Jones commended examination stakeholders for their tremendous improvement in the conduct of external examinations, especially the drastic decline in number of cases of schools’ Derecognitions and Warnings.

    He, however, expressed displeasure over the inability of some schools to consolidate on the state’s educational gains and  positive changes.

    The commissioner, therefore,  warned such  schools against sabotaging the efforts of the present administration.

    According to Jones, the WAEC result analysis from 2022 indicated that 61 schools were derecognised and 14 schools warned in the past,  describing it as unacceptable.

    He stressed that all perpetrators would be prosecuted to serve as deterrent to  others, insisting that the state government had zero tolerance for examination malpractices.

    Jones commended the Principals and Schools that had toed the path of examination ethics and equally urged them not to relent in maintaining acceptable examination standards.

    He urged Supervisors to discharge their noble task with utmost responsibility, promising rewards for schools and principals with clean examination record from the ministry.

    Jones assured that the government was addressing the issue of shortage of teachers as evident in the ongoing recruitment and posting of teachers to schools.

    The commissioner promised that further effort would be made to cover more grounds.

  • WAEC releases 2023 first batch of results

    WAEC releases 2023 first batch of results

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), on Friday, released the result of the first series of its 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) organised for private candidates.

    The examination was held between January and February, with a total of 8,348 candidates participated across 262 exam centres nationwide.

    The Head of the National Office of WAEC, Nigeria, Mr Patrick Areghan, announced the release of the result in a statement made available by the head of public affairs department of the organisation, Mrs Moyosola Adesina.

    According to him, only 2,003 candidates (representing 23.99%) out of the total 8,348 who sat the exam obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

    “And out of this number, only 971 (representing 48.48%) were male candidates while 1,032( representing 51.52%) were females,” he noted.

    Areghan said the percentage of candidates who had this similar result in the same diet in 2021 and 2022 were 30.11% and 26.32%, respectively, a development that shows a marginal decrease of 2.33% in performance over the three years.

    Areghan, however, pointed out that this general result cannot be compared with that of the May\June school-based diet for final year students because candidates in the latter exam are being compelled to sit for either eight or nine subjects while in this particular exam in focus, candidates are free to sit even for one subject depending on the number of subjects they have a deficiency and they need to pass.

    “That is why it is not correct or fair to say that the performance in this examination has dwindled when compared with the school-based exam,” he declared.

    Giving further statistics of the results, Areghan said 413 (representing 4.95%) of the total number of candidates who sat the examination still have their results being withheld over allegations of examination malpractice.

    He said their cases are being investigated, and the outcome would be communicated to them as regards if their results would be released or cancelled.

    He said 27 candidates with special needs including visually and hearing impaired and Albinos were also participated in the exam.

    He, however, disclosed that candidates who sat the examination are now free to visit the council’s website as www.waecdirect.org to check their results while they would need to apply for their certificates online, through WAEC Certificate Request Portal (e-Certman) website given as https://certrequest.waec.ng/.

    He commended all the members of staff of WAEC, exam officials, as well as the ad-hoc staff who participated in the exercise, saying their contributions were worthwhile

  • Why WAEC suspended manual confirmation of results

    Why WAEC suspended manual confirmation of results

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria has given a reason why the council would no longer provide manual confirmation or stamping of certificates of candidates who sat the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from 1999 till date.

    This followed the launch of the WAEC Digital Certificate Platform for a seamless and timely mode of availing stakeholders of their candidates’ certificates.

    In a statement on Sunday by the council’s Ag. Head, Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, the examination body urged stakeholders and the general public to utilise the digital certificate platform to ease the bottlenecks associated with the manual access and confirmation system.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) learned that efforts were underway to expand the platform to accommodate candidates from 1980 and updates will be provided to the public as they become available.

    “The WAEC Digital Certificate Platform allows candidates to access, download, and share their original WAEC certificates. Institutions and organisations can also promptly and securely confirm the certificates of candidates.

    “Note that certificates accessed and shared through the platform are authentic and sourced directly from the WAEC database.

    “We kindly request that institutions, organisations, agencies, embassies, high commissions, etc, provide email addresses for the digital sharing, receiving, and verification of certificates,” it added.

  • BREAKING: Lagos WAEC office gutted by fire [VIDEO]

    BREAKING: Lagos WAEC office gutted by fire [VIDEO]

    The building housing  the West Africa Examination Council, (WAEC) in Yaba area of Lagos State has been engulfed in an inferno.

    The fire outbreak happened in the wee hours of Wednesday.

    An eyewitness account in a radio programme in Lagos  said a staff of the council trapped in between some floors was observed attempting to jump through the windows of the 12-floor magnificent building to escape being suffocated.

    The cause of the inferno  which started at about 6.50 am, was yet to be ascertained as of 7.15 am. The fire had broken out at the middle of the high-rise building as those trapped in the building were seen frantically calling for help.

    Report says that  operatives of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and other emergency responder are presently at the scene trying to put out the fire,

    Watch:

     

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  • WAEC launches digital certificate platform to check fraud, delays

    WAEC launches digital certificate platform to check fraud, delays

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on Thursday launched its Digital Certificate platform in Lagos.

    The Head, National Office (HNO), Mr Patrick Areghan, in his welcome address at the unveiling of the platform, said that the development was to meet up with the constant demands of a changing world.

    According to him, with the advent of technology, there is the need to integrate technology with students’ lifestyles.

    The HNO said that the council’s new digital platform was developed in conjunction with one of the world‘s foremost security technology providers.

    He said it was being implemented to streamline the issuance and verification of certificates from all over the world.

    Areghan said that the platform involved mobile and web-based application, designed specifically for candidates, individuals, institutions and organisations.

    According to him, it holds powerful features that enable users to access, share, request and confirm certificates.

    He said that it could also be used to recover candidates’ forgotten/lost examination numbers.

    “The development of the new digital certificate platform is in line with WAEC’s continuous record of meeting global needs, by using cutting-edge technology to improve candidates’ experiences as they seek to continue their education.

    “We are evolving to meet the demands of a changing world. We have migrated from physical registration of candidates to online registration; online verification of results and online result printouts and more.

    “Their mobility is of utmost importance to the West African Examinations Council.

    “Today, we live in a digital world, where instant satisfaction and accessibility are the ultimate. The process of receiving, retrieving, sharing, verifying or confirming academic certificates is rather cumbersome and moribund.

    “The whole process is costly and could be frustrating, and the only answer can be found in Digital Certificates,. Today, we are here to witness a revolution in the assessment and certification industry,” he said.

    He noted that council would continue to be committed to its mission of encouraging academic and moral excellence.

    The HON said it would also continue to promote sustainable human resource development and international cooperation.

    According to him, the council is also committed to prompt service delivery.

    He said with the development of the digital certificate platform, an important step had further been taken.

    The council boss noted that since the commencement of assessment by the examination body, certificates had been issued to represent students’ performance in examinations.

    He said that such certificates helped them to advance their educational development or get involved in the world of work.

    “So, for centuries, academic certificates have been issued as physical paper certificates. This is the traditional certificate,” Areghan noted.

    Listing some of the benefits of the digital certificate platform, the HNO said that candidates would no longer share photocopies of their certificates with institutions and organisations.

    He stated that they would rather access and share copies of their original certificates, delivered straight from WAEC data base, noting that these records would instantly be confirmed and validated.

    According to him, candidates or other certificate owners would however have to pay a ‘token for the various services they apply for on the platform.

    “For instance, with the new platform, if a candidate wants to do just confirmation of result, he would just have to pay N5,000 as against the N60,000 that was charged for the same service before now.

    “If it is for attestation of results, it will attract just N7,500 and if it is just sharing of the result, it is N3,500,” Areghan said.

    According to him, the entire process is not about making money, but rather, a sort of council’s Corporate Social Responsibly (CSR).

    He said that it was about giving back to the society, adding that it was a total package, a one-stop shop for access and validation of certificates.

    Speaking further on the gains of the technology, Areghan noted that with the development, issues of result alteration would cease to exist.

    According to him, it has also solved the problem of delay, doubt and faking, adding that candidates can access and share their result at anytime and to any location around the globe.

    “Individuals can now share their digital certificates from a WAEC source instantly, regardless of the person’s location.

    “This eliminates institutional administration delays and backlog of requests. it provides instant verification and credibility,” he said.

    Areghan said that the digital certificate platform would give certificate holders the power to prevent unauthorised users from accessing their data.

    He said that the platform was compliant with global best practices by ensuring that the data of candidates were protected securely and could not be accessed by third parties without the consent of certificate owners.

    “ Thus, it provides security for certificates.

    “Another benefit is that universities, institutions and organisations can now enjoy a seamless, secure and fast confirmation process with the digital platform.

    “The platform also allows for bulk confirmation of certificates at once. This saves valuable administration costs and time.

    “The limitations experienced with the paper certificates is that it cannot be replaced as original certificates are only issued once.
    “Going digital, your original certificate is now available on demand. And the risk of loss or damage is now eliminated.

    “Certificate owners can print their digital certificates in high quality to have a physical copy, if they so desire, among others,” he stated.

    He assured that result of candidates from 1999 to date could now be accessed through the just-launched and long-awaited platform.

    According to him, those taken from 1970 to 1978 will be accessed by February 2023.

    Areghan noted that the council would embark on persistent and mass sensitisation on the innovation and how to apply it.

    Newsmen reports that a digital certificate is the electronic version of academic or physical paper certificate.

    It is hosted on a dedicated credential page with options to share and embed.

    It presents the same information with paper certificates, but has numerous advantages over and paper certificates, with special focus on the elimination of fraud and easy accessibility.

  • Candidates to get certificates immediately after release of results soon- WAEC

    Candidates to get certificates immediately after release of results soon- WAEC

    The West Africa Examination Council, WAEC, has announced plans to ensure that candidates of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination get their certificates once their results are released.

    The Head of the National Office, Patrick Areghan, made this known on Tuesday at a luncheon organized by the exam body in Lagos.

    Whether your certificate was burnt or lost to flood or eaten by termites, you don’t have to go through the stress of recovering it. Just pick up your phone and log on to our website and it comes straight from the WAEC database

    He also noted that the digital certificate set to be launched on Thursday, October 20, 2022, applies to those who wrote the exams between 1999 and till date, adding that the preceding years would be considered much later.

    According to him, the new digital certificate cannot be tampered with or falsified, just as it would send fakers out of the market.

    He said, “Whether your certificate was burnt or lost to flood or eaten by termite, you don’t have to go through the stress of recovering it. Just pick up your phone and log on to our website and it comes straight from the WAEC database.

    “We have solved the problem of theft. We have saved you the headache of carrying the hard copies of your certificate. And the good thing that will come out of this is, by the time we take a final decision and perfect everything if we release the results today, I can tell you that the certificates are ready.

    “It is just to roll them out. If we announce the release of results today, the certificates will automatically be ready for release. It may just take a year to transit because the certificates we have now are going to be treated, but immediately after they are treated, they will be available in the database. The next one, that will be 2023 or 2024, immediately we release the results the certificate will be ready.”

    He, however, listed insecurity as one of the challenges the body was facing in conducting exams across the country.

    He said, “Places where you go to by road, you now have to fly because of insecurity. Almost everybody in WAEC now flies. We are the greatest movers of leg and materials. We stay in hotels. And you know for security reasons you can no longer stay in anyhow hotel. You have to stay in a safe area. There are some places you cannot conduct exams without the physical presence of the police and the Nigerian Army.

    “When you go to the East due to what I will call ethnic separatism; you go to the north where you have banditry and insurgency; how do you conduct exams in those areas? Thank God some state governments cooperate with us. If not for the military and the brigade command in Yobe and Borno States, we would not have been able to conduct the examination. In the East, we thank the DSS. And generally, all over the country, we thank the Inspector-General of Police.

    “We take the exam to every nook and cranny of the country. Our exam is not such that you gather people together in one central location. There is no facility like that in Nigeria. Wherever the school is located, you must go there to conduct the examination. That is a great challenge. Even in some places where you don’t have banditry, gunmen or insurgency, the roads are not good. These are the challenges we have in trying to serve the Nigerian child.”