WAEC Demands Strict CBT to Tackle ‘Miracle Centres’, Examination Malpractice

• The West African Examinations Council has called for strict computer-based testing to tackle examination malpractice and curb the alleged activities of “miracle centres” where candidates are reportedly given unauthorised assistance during examinations.

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has called for the adoption of strict computer-based testing (CBT) to curb examination malpractice and tackle the activities of centres popularly known as “miracle centres.”

An official with the WAEC office in Makurdi, Timothy Manga, made the recommendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria amid growing concerns over examination malpractice and its potential impact on the credibility of public examinations and educational certificates.

Manga said allegations about the existence of “miracle” examination centres in Benue State had become worrisome, although WAEC had not officially confirmed the existence of any such centre in the state.

In the Nigerian education system, a “miracle centre” refers to an examination centre where organised examination malpractice is allegedly facilitated, allowing candidates to obtain unauthorised assistance or answers during examinations.

Manga described the alleged practice as a threat to the education system, stressing that schools should be recognised for the quality of education they provide rather than their ability to facilitate examination malpractice.

He said students who succeed through cheating undermine those who genuinely prepare for their examinations.

“Any system that rewards students for cheating undermines those who have worked hard to prepare for examinations.

“We need an examination system where success is determined by knowledge, preparation, and competence, not by the ability to access assistance during examinations.

“Though WAEC has not gotten any information on any school being a ‘miracle centre’, we would continue to put our ears to the ground in case we hear of any that we can set an example with,” he said.

Meanwhile, a teacher with NKST Secondary School, Makurdi, Mrs Rebecca Ezekiel, suggested that establishing independent examination centres could help reduce the influence of schools and teachers over external examinations conducted by bodies such as WAEC and the National Examination Council (NECO).

Ezekiel said CBT could give examination bodies greater control over examination venues, personnel and security arrangements.

“Candidates should be examined under conditions that are independent of the schools where they receive instructions,” she said.

She also recommended the use of biometric verification, Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras and other technologies to strengthen monitoring during examinations.

However, a school proprietor in Otukpo Local Government Area, Mr Jude Odeh, cautioned against automatically labelling schools as “miracle centres” simply because they admit students into their final year.

Odeh said he had heard allegations about the existence of such centres in Benue but had yet to identify any specific school operating as a “miracle examination centre.”

He explained that some parents transfer their children to different schools for reasons including the cost of examination registration and school fees.

According to him, some schools charge examination fees arbitrarily, and when combined with school fees, the total cost can become too expensive for some parents.

Odeh, however, noted that some schools in Benue do not admit new students into SS3, insisting that only students promoted from SS2 are registered for external examinations.