While students in Lagos State welcomed the computer-based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (CB-WASSCE) trial test as a step toward modernising examinations, frustrations grew over centre allocation issues that left many uncertain and inconvenienced.
Some of the students in Lagos who spoke with BusinessDay on this expressed joy with the examination mode and dissatisfaction with the centre allocation challenges.
Oni Oluwakemi, SS3 in Arts class, expressed gratitude over the ongoing CB-WASSCE trial test, describing it as a good development. “I think the CBT is very good, it helps us learn to manage our time and how to operate the system before the real exam.
Read also: 2026 WASSCE remains computer-based test, WAEC insists
“With this, we’ll be able to master how to operate the system before our exam. I have been trying to manage my time on the CBT to ensure I score high in the exam proper,” she said.
Arogundade Mistura, SS3 Commercial student, described her experience with the computer-based test as impressive and encouraging.
“The CBT has been impressive and encouraging to me because the experience inculcates in students time management during exams.
“Besides, it helps us evolve with our studies. All our teachers have been teaching us and have been showing up in the test. Especially in Accounts, and Commerce, among others,” she said.
She emphasised that CBT helps students identify their lapses before the real examination, and proffer solutions.
Adefemi Adebayo, SS3 Commercial student, said the CBT test is good, emphasising that the experience helps students to master timing during examinations.
“It helps us manage our time in the exam, some of the topics our teachers taught us came out, and we’re able to refresh our brains from SS1 to SS2.
“The CBT has helped us upgrade from average scores upwards. We’re getting higher scores now,” he stated.
However, some of the candidates expressed worries about centre allocation, which they say marred the whole idea of CB-WASSCE in 2026.
Sekemi Balogun, one of the students who spoke with BusinessDay, described the challenges of centre allocation as frustrating.
“They kept relocating us from one centre to another for our test, this is really frustrating, moving from the original centres to somewhere else in order to write the tests,” she said.
Stakeholders are worried that the examination centre crisis would mar the 2026 WASSCE if the authorities concerned do not take proper steps to address the situation.
Recall, BusinessDay reported that the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has insisted the 2026 WASSCE will be conducted strictly as a computer-based test, maintaining its commitment to modernising assessment across the country.
Read also: WAEC shifts CBT-WASSCE commencement to 2027, complies with legislative directive
Amos Dangut, the head of the Nigeria National Office (HNO) at WAEC, disclosed this to journalists after the 63rd Nigeria National Council (NNC) meeting held in Umuahia, Abia State.
Besides, Tunji Alausa, the minister of education, announced the transition from paper-based examinations to computer-based tests to “strengthen the integrity of our examinations, drastically reduce malpractice, and ensure Nigeria’s assessment system meets global standards”.
This policy applies to all the exams supervised by the regional examination body, including WASSCE, written in five West African countries between May and June each year.
