Arewa youths want CBT WASSCE cancelled, insist it’ll cause mass failure in North

The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has called for the cancellation of the proposed computer-based test format in the forthcoming West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) in the country.

The forum argued that if such a mode of examination is allowed, it would result in mass failure for students, particularly in rural areas of northern states where computer skills are scarce or completely absent.

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

According to him, this would have allowed students to opt for the format they were most comfortable with and capable of attempting successfully.

Read also: Group accuses REA boss of corruption, evading police investigation

Shettima further stated 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 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 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 Additionally, a lack of proper and adequate computer skills, coupled with outdated desktop computers that are not properly maintained by CBT centers further exacerbate the situation.”

The AYCF president explained that the call became imperative to prevent a massive failure rate among students who deserved fair and equal opportunities for success.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now