The Registrar of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Professor Ibrahim Wushishi, has disclosed that universities in the United Kingdom, (UK) have shown interest in NECO examinations for admitting Nigerian students.
Speaking during an interactive session with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Professor Wushishi revealed that two universities had reached out to inquire about the credibility of NECO examinations for admission purposes.
He highlighted the potential migration to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) and the challenges associated with digitalization, acknowledging the complexity of NECO examinations compared to other examination bodies.
“With NECO being the largest examination body in terms of the number of examinations conducted, migrating to CBT is a critical issue,” Professor Wushishi stated.
He emphasized the need for careful consideration of the transition to CBT, particularly due to the diverse nature of NECO examinations, which cover 76 different subjects and over 150 different papers annually for admissions into tertiary institutions.
While acknowledging the success of Computer-Based Testing (CBT) in examinations like the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Wushishi highlighted the intricacies of NECO examinations, particularly the essay-based papers, which require thorough evaluation before migration to CBT.
“We have to do that gradually, and there are some areas in our exams we could start with, like the common entrance examination, which is multiple choice-based, but then we must look at the nitty-gritty of doing that,” he added.
Addressing concerns about examination malpractices, especially in the upcoming Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) internal examinations, Professor Wushishi assured that NECO had implemented sophisticated mechanisms to curb malpractices.
“We are putting in place programmes for continuous sensitisation awareness.
We are going to improve in the area of data protection to protect our candidates’ information,” he said.
He further emphasized that NECO had no fears regarding malpractices in the upcoming examinations scheduled for June, citing measures such as enhanced data protection, the use of sophisticated identity verification, and monitoring of potential fishing sites to prevent exam leakages.
