WAEC Exam to be 100 per cent technology driven in 2018 - Council

The council said it has organised series of retreats for
both management staff and the workforce in
preparatory to deploy technology in its operations.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC)
says it will sensitise and train its workforce on
key areas of technology deployment in order to
improve its operations in 2018.
The council's Head, National Office (HNO), Mr. Olu
Adenipekun disclosed this in an interview with the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos.
According to him, the council has organised series of
retreats for both management staff and the workforce in
preparatory to deploy technology in its operations.
He said, "We have worked hard in sensitising the
workforce of the council and prepare their minds
because it is one thing for one to strive to do
something.
"But if the people that drives the system are not
attuned psychologically, to doing that all such efforts
will be fruitless.
"So, we want to prepare our psyche on the need to
sharpen our tools in preparation to move over to a 100
per cent technologically driven WAEC and of course we
have done that and we are going full blast".
The HNO noted that already, the council's budget for
2018 has been fully designed to support the
introduction of technology into the various aspects of
its operation in Nigeria.
He explained that the move would put WAEC at the
level it was expected to be in the comity of examination
bodies worldwide.
"Members of staff of the council must be able to go
beyond being a staff of the ICT Department. Even if one
is a messenger, one should be able to ask how he can
deploy technology to carry out his duties and this
applies to all other operational components of council.
"So, this is an era where we are looking at 2018 as a
year where we will be deploying technology in all facets
of our operations, not just in conducting examination,
processing of results and printing of certificates but in
all areas of our operations," the HNO said.
On the possibility of introducing Computer Based Test
(CBT) platform for its examination, Adenipekun said
that the CBT was not an examination mode that was
limited to any particular examination body.
According to him, WAEC also has a section called the
Aptitude Test department that can equally use the CBT
platform in conducting examination for candidates.
He, however, said that the main point was that the
mandate of WAEC makes it difficult to go the whole
hug as it was different from that of other examination
bodies like JAMB.
"It will interest you to know that WAEC conducts
achievement tests to ascertain the level of achievement
of a candidate or student after attending secondary
school for a six-year period.
"So, if you want to test knowledge for English Language
for instance, we do so without bringing about any
complications.
"We are aware of the operational environment. WAEC
examination is not a selection test, it is an achievement
test and so in doing that, we will have to deploy all
facilities available to ensure that we help that particular
candidate to prove himself or herself," he said.