WAEC Exam Crisis: How to Prevent Future Disruptions and Safeguard Student Success

Last week, applicants from Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Taraba, and Delta states took the English Language Paper 2 of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). Imagine writing an exam in the dark, without adequate lighting, and with a rumbling stomach.

Images and videos of students using flashlights to write exams late at night became widespread on the internet.

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) acknowledged that there had been a paper leak for that specific subject and had to rewrite the papers in order to preserve the exam’s integrity. The council thus had to deal with “logistical hurdles, security concerns, and socio-cultural factors,” which had an impact on how quickly the examination was completed.

Stakeholders, students, parents, and school owners were understandably incensed over the matter and criticized the testing organization for failing to postpone the test and for allegedly jeopardizing student safety. Concerns have also been expressed regarding the long-term viability of WAEC and the National Examinations Council’s (NECO) implementation of the computer-based tests (CBT) mode in the wake of Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa’s announcement.

Parents and candidates describe their ordeal.

Miracle Isaac, a candidate, claimed that after remaining in the test room until nine o’clock at night, her family believed she had vanished.

“I was astounded by the English language. My mom called my dad to let him know I was gone, and then he called me even though he wasn’t in Nigeria,” he claimed.

Eunice Osemudia, another applicant, questioned why the testing organization hadn’t canceled the exam and set a new date for a retake.

“What will it take for them to postpone that specific exam to a different day?” she said. How were the pupils at fault if the questions did leak as they said?

Ibadan contestant Bisi Olaitan stated, “I returned home from the exam room at approximately 11 p.m. I failed the same English course three years ago.

Given how the exam went this year and the stress we were under when we took it, I doubt I would pass.

Peace Okeke, an Imo State candidate, said that her school was not impacted.

“There was no impact on my school. Mine is located in Imo State’s Okigwe. I took the test as well. On the day of the test, I returned around 6:30 p.m.,” she stated.

Juliana Emeke, a sibling of one of the impacted candidates in Asaba, stated, “I thought it was just Asaba that was impacted.” My sister, who took the test, claimed that she was hungry, that she was unable to handle the test, and that her brain was unable to digest the information.

Since the majority of them wrote under duress, I hope they pass that specific subject.

Ayodeji Adelagun, an Osun State candidate, stated, “We used candles to write our English essays in school.”

A parent named Mr. Olabode Ojo stated, “WAEC postponed the exam until 8 or 10 p.m., whereas JAMB scheduled it for 6 a.m. What is going to happen to NECO? These testing organizations don’t genuinely care about our kids’ safety. It’s really very depressing.

“I am a teacher,” stated Mrs. Uche Ezeonu, a nursing mother and educator. At 10 p.m., I returned home with my infant. My phone rang. Leaving those students there was not in my mind. For them, I had to wait.

According to a worried citizen who wished to remain anonymous, she took several of the students into her home to prevent their kidnapping.

Due to local kidnappings, a few students stayed overnight at our house. The following morning, they went to their separate residences,” she remarked.

According to Gabriella James, a sister of one of the candidates, her mother’s blood pressure increased while she looked for her brother, who took the test.

“We set out to find our brother. We were denied entry to the school. My mother’s anxiety caused her blood pressure to rise. She added, “My brother did not eat before leaving the house that day to write the exam.”

WAEC promises to maintain integrity and apologizes for the exam delay.

WAEC apologized to parents, students, and other stakeholders the next day for the delay in the English Language Paper 2 administration. It claimed that following suspicions of exam paper leaks, it postponed the test for many hours in an effort to preserve its integrity.

Despite our best efforts, we ran across logistical challenges, security issues, and sociocultural variables that adversely affected our activities, according to the statement. Currently, the council is working with security authorities to prevent similar incidents in the future.

We really regret any inconveniences caused and acknowledge the significance of conducting exams on time as well as the effect this decision will have on the applicants, their parents, and their schools.

“WAEC is grateful for everyone’s cooperation and understanding during this time. We will continue to encourage academic success and are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards in the administration of exams.

The response of stakeholders

Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, the National President of the Congress of University Academics (CONUA), said that it was extremely depressing that Nigeria was still struggling with exam malpractice in the twenty-first century, especially the leakage of questions intended for our country’s future students. He claimed that this regrettable fact raises urgent questions about the kind of value system the country is establishing, one in which taking shortcuts is not only common but frequently goes unpunished and where honesty and hard work are not adequately valued as national values.

According to CONUA, it is a flagrant failure of planning and logistics to allow students to write their English language exam late into the night under lanterns, candles, or mobile phone flashlights without access to electricity or proper learning infrastructure. This places a significant psychological and physical burden on the young candidates, many of whom returned home at dangerous hours, causing anxiety and distress to their parents and guardians.

He went on to say that these children’s academic performance had undoubtedly suffered, putting them at a disadvantage when compared to their counterparts who wrote in more typical settings.

Sunmonu suggested that WAEC take quick action to identify and assist the impacted candidates in addition to making public declarations acknowledging logistical difficulties and security concerns.

Compensatory grading or other equitable and quantifiable interventions may fall under this category. In addition, WAEC needs to update its operational architecture to foresee security lapses such as question leaks and act quickly with backup plans that protect the integrity of its tests and the honor of its applicants. Even with the best of intentions, reactionary actions are no longer sufficient.

A more proactive example of crisis management is provided by JAMB’s recent experience, in which technical issues were acknowledged and impacted candidates were requested to retake the test. Nevertheless, simply managing the aftermath is insufficient. Investigating and punishing those accountable for systemic failures is necessary to prevent future recurrence, particularly if sabotage is suspected.

As a nation, we must make it very evident that integrity, merit, and openness are unassailable principles. This needs to be reflected in public life, education, and governance, not just in words. If we are serious about creating a future based on excellence and integrity, our examination bodies must step up to the challenge,” he stated.

One method to lessen this, according to education expert Mr. Ibrahim Mikailu, is to institutionalize ongoing evaluation such that the final exam only receives a portion of the results. He claimed that in order to balance the use of technology, such as in the case of CBT, with ongoing assessments of human intellect and feedback processes, this would be helpful for exams to allow for re-sitting possibilities in the event of system failures or acceptable individual conditions.

Although panic has always existed in Nigerian test systems, the JAMB incident—which may have been unintentionally connected to WAEC—has intensified the situation. Furthermore, social media’s effect has helped to make isolated instances of dysfunction appear to be commonplace.

Most of the incidents would have been considered normal occurrences if social media hadn’t been around. But in the quest for greatness, it is a positive development that challenges the status quo,” he remarked.

Although situations like this were not wholly new to the educational system, Mr. Emmanuel Orji, President of the Association of Formidable Educational Development (AFED), emphasized that they were now magnified due to social media access.

He pointed out that if Nigeria didn’t adopt a whole new approach to education, these kinds of incidents would keep happening.

“Anyone in a position can say whatever they want, but the reality is that these things are just signs of a larger problem in this system,” he stated.

The head of AFED said that while Dr. Tunji Alausa’s proposal to introduce CBT into national exams was not a bad idea, it would require a lot of infrastructure, including power, internet, computers, and preparation.

He went on to say that candidates’ performance will be directly impacted if they wrote this year’s exam at night.

Adebola Obe, the director of Platform Group of Schools, claims that the paper situation is a wake-up call for WAEC and other Nigerian testing organizations. In order to guarantee that students could take their exams in a secure and comfortable setting, he continued, it highlighted the necessity of improved planning, infrastructure, and crisis management.

He stressed that only then could a more solid and dependable examination system be developed to serve the interests of students. He asked the government and examination bodies to work together to address the systemic difficulties that lead to such instances and prioritize the welfare of students.

Obe emphasized that the incident’s possible effects on students’ academic performance were among its most notable ramifications. He claimed that writing tests at this hour could cause tension and exhaustion, which could impair their ability to function at their best.

Additionally, poor lighting can make it difficult for kids to see, which makes it harder for them to read and write and may result in mistakes.

Additionally, students’ safety when they come home late is a top priority, especially in places where security concerns are prevalent.

“There are significant concerns about the security procedures in place in light of the examination question leak that caused the exam to be postponed and then conducted at an ungodly hour.

“WAEC’s claim that it accomplished its goal but ran into logistical issues and security problems that affected the timeliness and smooth operation of the examination is not enough to excuse them from accountability. An examination body of WAEC’s caliber has to have a more comprehensive backup plan in place to lessen the impact of such occurrences.

Given this situation, it is important to find out if Nigerian examination bodies suffer from structural issues. Other testing organizations, like the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), have also experienced comparable difficulties; therefore, WAEC’s problems are not unique. However, it is more fruitful to pinpoint the causes and work toward remedies rather than blaming these difficulties on chance. The fact that these problems keep coming up indicates that a more systemic approach is required to address the difficulties that Nigerian testing organizations face, Obe stated.

CBT is the best option.

According to Dr. Amos Dangut, Head of WAEC Nigeria’s National Office, CBT was the best option because its benefits outweighed its drawbacks.

Speaking alongside Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, the registrar and chief executive of NECO, at the virtual May edition of the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN) education dialogue last week, they stated that their organizations are prepared to implement the CBT mode of examination in 2026 per the federal government’s directive.

“CBT for SSCE: Is Nigeria ready?” was the subject of their conversation. Scholars and other education-related stakeholders came together.

As they have previously been employing the format for some assessments, albeit on a smaller scale, they said they were not unfamiliar with CBT mode exams and that the move was the proper one for Nigeria in the twenty-first century.

They argued that the change was required, recognizing that low computer literacy and inadequate infrastructure could prevent the system from functioning smoothly at first—problems they have previously encountered with the current pen-and-paper approach.

According to Dangut, several schools were already using CBT for their current May/June exams.

He claimed that although there would be difficulties with the CBT system, they would be fixed faster than with the pen-and-paper method, and the mode would also lessen exam fraud.

According to Dangut, the recent technical issue that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) encountered when administering the UTME was insufficient to completely discredit the CBT exam format.

He emphasized that up until the most recent edition, JAMB had successfully administered CBT exams for many years without experiencing any significant issues and that it had since enhanced its processes.

He urged Nigerians at all levels to assist WAEC and NECO in this transition and the overall administration of their separate exams, stating that there is always space for growth in human endeavors.

Regarding exam centers, NECO’s registrar outlined the organization’s strategy to overcome these obstacles, pointing out that most schools in the nation lacked basic ICT infrastructure like computers and a dependable power source.

He claims that although switching to CBT tests by 2027 has always been a part of NECO’s long-term plan, the federal government has now expedited the process.

According to him, NECO, like WAEC, administered at least 76 subjects—many of which had several components—in over 26,000 schools across the country that served as testing locations. Therefore, to administer CBT tests, functional ICT labs and other required equipment are needed, which are currently lacking in the majority of schools.

“It would be challenging to conduct seamless CBT exams based solely on school premises,” he stated. Therefore, like JAMB has been doing, we intend to use reputable CBT centers that are controlled by both public and private organizations.

Wushishi stated that as schools would act as centers, they would facilitate the seamless administration of the test if they had the required facilities.

According to him, the testing organization would start using CBT this year, with private applicants taking the exam in November or December.

“The school-based exam gets roughly 1.3 to 1.4 million candidates, while we usually have less for the November/December exam. We must start somewhere and keep coming up with new ways to make the system better until we get the results we want,” he said.

According to Obe, the announcement by the education minister that CBT will be required for WAEC and NECO would complicate matters further.

Although the use of CBT tests may improve exam security and efficiency, it is imperative to make sure that the required infrastructure and training are available to facilitate this shift.

According to him, the recent occurrence emphasizes the necessity of sufficient infrastructure and planning to support any exam format.

Sunmonu praised the concept, stating that it would decrease malpractice, increase efficiency, and modernize evaluation.

He emphasized, nonetheless, that the viability presents some important issues that need careful thought. In order to ensure its successful implementation, he emphasized a number of important elements, including infrastructure, technical reliability, the form and pattern of the examination, and access and equity for candidates in remote places.

In summary, switching to CBT may be a good first step, but it needs to be done carefully, inclusively, and with an open mind about the difficulties that lie ahead. Before adopting a full-scale deployment, the emphasis should be on infrastructure development, capacity building, and piloting CBT across appropriate exam kinds, he stated.