By Ogungbayi Adeyemi S. | adeyemi@ddnewsonline.com
Editor, DDNews |
The introduction of Computer-Based Testing (CBT) by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is helping to reduce some traditional forms of examination malpractice, but persistent cheating and emerging digital threats continue to raise questions about the credibility of examinations.
WAEC withheld the results of 167,486 candidates, representing 8.59 per cent of those who sat for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), over alleged examination malpractice. The figure was lower than the 9.7 per cent recorded in 2025, representing a 1.11 percentage-point decline.
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The 2026 examination marked the second edition of WAEC’s Computer-Based WASSCE for school candidates. The council introduced measures including the serialisation of questions to make collusion more difficult and the Digital Examiner Mark System to improve the processing of results.
WAEC has also described CBT as an important tool for tackling examination malpractice, particularly at centres where organised cheating has been a concern. A WAEC official, Timothy Manga, said computer-based testing could help curb malpractice in so-called “miracle centres”, where candidates may receive unauthorised assistance.
However, the decline in withheld results does not mean CBT has eliminated examination malpractice. WAEC’s Head of Nigeria National Office, Dr Amos Dangut, identified the continued use of mobile phones in examination halls and organised cheating in some schools as major concerns during the 2026 examination. Some supervisors and invigilators accused of assisting malpractice were also reported to face sanctions.
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The shift to digital examinations is therefore creating a new dimension to an old problem. While CBT can make practices such as copying from neighbouring candidates and the physical circulation of examination materials more difficult, internet-enabled devices and artificial intelligence can provide new avenues for candidates seeking unauthorised assistance.
The growing concern over artificial intelligence is not limited to WAEC. Education systems globally are increasingly grappling with the ability of generative AI to produce answers and other academic work, forcing examination bodies to reconsider how assessments can verify what candidates actually know and can do.
For Nigeria and other West African countries, the challenge is therefore not simply whether examinations should become computer-based. It is whether examination bodies can keep security measures ahead of the changing ways candidates may attempt to cheat.
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The 2026 WAEC figures suggest some progress, with the proportion of results withheld falling from 9.7 per cent to 8.59 per cent. But with mobile-phone use, organised cheating and emerging AI-related risks still posing challenges, CBT appears to be reducing some forms of examination malpractice rather than eliminating the problem altogether.
By Onabanjo Boluwatife Ifeoluwa
boluwatifeonabanjo3@gmail.com