WAEC Returns To E-Marking For Exams

The West African Examination Council, Nigeria has reintroduced the electronic method of marking its examination papers.

The Head of the Office, Mr Adelowo Maliki, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen today in Lagos.

He started that the high cost of running the electronic means made the examination body halt it after adopting in 2014 and 2015.

According to him, “We started this electronic marking in 2014 through to 2015, only for us to suspend it in 2016, due to high costs as regards the high exchange rate.

“But now, we are set to bring it back as we have gotten all necessary approvals from the council’s committee meetings
and the council itself.

“This led to our trying to develop our own in-house and by the grace of God, the ongoing West African Senior School
Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates would be marked electronically.

“However, we will not be marking all the subjects through this mode, just some selected ones. “So as soon as this
examination is concluded, we will kick start marking electronically,’’ he said.

According to him, such mode of
marking would further ensure test realiability.

“Here, you can be sure that if two people mark the same
paper, they will arrive at the same scoring. “So it will increase
test reliability, which means that even for different people, there will be little or no deviation from what they awarded
because this one is electronically done and if you are not doing it according to laid down rules, it shuts you off
automatically on its own.

“At that point, you realise you are not doing the right thing and so if every paper can be done electronically, it is going to be the best,’’ Maliki explained.

He added that the marking mode was actually the best but costly. Maliki, however, noted that gradually, the office intends to spread the marking mode across all subjects and papers.