Arewa youths fear that CBT WASSCE will result in mass failures in the North
The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum is urging the cancellation of the proposed computer-based test format in the upcoming West African Senior School Certificate Examinations in Nigeria.
The forum contends that this mode of examination would lead to widespread failure, especially in the rural areas of northern states where computer skills are limited or non-existent.
Yerima Shettima, the National President of AYCF, released a statement in Kaduna expressing the view that the CBT exams should have been optional.
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Candidates could then choose between the traditional pen-and-paper format and the computer-based approach, allowing them to opt for the method they were most comfortable with and capable of succeeding in.
Shettima argued that the Forum’s research in selected northern states revealed consistently misleading failure rates among students in public schools, where computer skills were often not part of the curriculum.
He pointed out that even the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board CBT exams had created difficulties for underprivileged students, who struggled with an unfamiliar format.
Many students attributed their failures to systemic issues, including insufficient facilities, network failures, and a lack of proper computer skills.
According to Shettima, the call to cancel the CBT format is crucial to prevent a significant increase in the failure rate among students who deserve fair and equal opportunities for success.