The Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, has expressed satisfaction with the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), describing the conduct of the Computer-Based Test (CBT) examinations as smooth and hitch-free.

Ahmad stated this on Wednesday after monitoring the examination in selected schools in Abuja. She said candidates were comfortable with the CBT platform and reported no difficulties while writing their examinations.

The minister visited Government Secondary School, Garki, where the CBT examination was conducted, and Federal Government Boys' College, Garki, where candidates sat for the paper-based examination.

She commended the level of preparedness displayed by students and the orderly conduct of the examination at both centres, noting that the environment was conducive and in line with examination standards.

According to her, extensive pilot testing carried out before the introduction of CBT examinations helped to ensure the reliability of the system. She added that candidates had already written several papers using the platform without any reported technical glitches.

Ahmad also said measures had been put in place to address possible power challenges, with participating schools provided with alternative power sources such as generators and solar systems.

The minister noted that only schools with adequate ICT facilities and sufficient computer systems were selected for the CBT examination, adding that some schools conducted the exercise in multiple batches to accommodate all candidates.

She further stated that the Federal Government would continue to expand CBT infrastructure across the country, stressing that a full transition to the system would depend on the availability of the necessary facilities nationwide.

[NAN]