The Nigeria office of the West African Examination Council has unveiled the conduct of an additional diet of West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidate commencing in January, 2018.
The council said the conduct of an additional diet of the WASSCE for Private Candidates became necessary because the WASSCE for School Candidates is written first every year and the results are released before the conduct of the WASSCE for Private Candidates.
Olu Adenipekun, head of the Nigeria National Office of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) said with this additional diet, School Candidates who wish to retake the examination usually have the opportunity of doing so with the Private Candidates examination.
Adenipekun while speaking at the formal unveiling of the WASSCE for private candidates, 2018 – first series Wednesday in Lagos assured that the Council will continue to be driven by her mandate to assist in the development of sound education by ensuring that standards are maintained and the people of West Africa are given a vision of the great potential which lie beyond examination.
He further observed that lack of ample examination opportunity have often being cited as responsible for the level of desperation oftentimes displayed by the perpetrators of examination malpractice at the Private Candidates examination centres.
According to him, “The Council have also observed with chagrin the penchant by external candidates to register for the WASSCE for School Candidates which has led to an astronomical increase in examination cheats being caught during the conduct of the examination”.
He stated that the flagging off of this diet is starting with Nigeria, however, the remaining member countries of WAEC have indicated their readiness to follow suit.
He further said that this First Series of the WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2018 will be an urban based examination and candidates will be examined in 19 subjects.
The Head of WAEC Lagos called on intending candidates for the examination to go to the WAEC confirm available examination towns and subjects before obtaining the registration PIN.
KELECHI EWUZIE
