Arewa Youths Reject CBT for WAEC Exam, Fear It’ll Lead to Failure in Zamfara, Taraba, Others

The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has expressed concerns over the West African Examinations Council’s (WAEC) decision to introduce the Computer-Based Test (CBT) format for its forthcoming exams.

The group fears that this new format may result in massive failure for students, particularly in rural states like Zamfara, Taraba, and others where computer skills are scarce or completely absent.

The AYCF argues that the CBT exams should have been optional, allowing candidates to choose between the traditional pen and paper format and the computer-based approach.

This would have given students the opportunity to opt for the format they are most comfortable with and capable of attempting successfully.

Research conducted by the Forum in selected northern states such as Zamfara, Jigawa, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, and Plateau reveals that the CBT exams have consistently led to misleading failure rates among students attending public schools, where computer skills are often not taught.

In a statement by the Forum’s President General, Yerima Shettima on Friday, he emphasized that even the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) CBT exams have placed underprivileged students in a predicament, as they struggle to answer questions in a format they are unfamiliar with.

The AYCF has passionately called for the cancellation of the CBT format in the forthcoming WAEC exams and urges the council to reconsider its decision in the interest of students’ success and the overall advancement of education in Nigeria.