WAEC to hold 3 exam diets as from 2018

-WAEC introduces new exam diet for private candidates.

-The council explained the step became necessary in order to meet the large demand and curtail exam malpractices.

WAEC introduces new exam for private candidates.

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has introduced a new private diet of its examination to curtail private candidates from registering for WASSCE meant for school candidates.

The council reveals the large number of external candidates that register for its examination, has also increased the number of cheats being caught during the conduct of its exams.

The new diet is slated to hold in January/February 2018 and will be launched in Nigeria.

This, in addition to the existing May/June WASSCE for normal school candidates and the November/December diet for private candidates, will bring to three, the number of examinations to be conducted by the WAEC every year starting from 2018.

The new development was revealed by the council’s Head, National Office (HNO), Mr Olu Adenipekun, at the unveiling of the first series of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) diet for private candidates on Wednesday in Lagos.

“After thorough deliberations on the issue, the governing board of the Council approved that its national offices should begin the conduct of one additional diet every year of the WASSCE for private candidates,’’ Adenipekun said.

“The conduct of this 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.

“Therefore, school candidates who wish to retake the examination usually have the opportunities of doing so during the private candidates’ examination.

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“But with growing concerns among stakeholders over what they perceived as a denial of equal opportunities against private candidates, there has been a deluge of appeals across the West African Sub-region for Council to reduce the agony of long waiting experienced by the private candidates, who desire another shot at WASSCE.’’

Adenipekun explained that Nigeria will kick start the new diet, candidates will be examined in 19 subjects, with the remaining member countries of WAEC to follow suit at a later date.

“Centres for this examination will be located in cities and urban areas where we have a large number of the candidates.

“We will start with that for now and then gradually, we continue to spread to every nook and cranny of the country,’’ he said.