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Test administration procedures of public examinations in Nigeria: implications for the west african senior school certificate examination

Assessment outcome in Public Examinations is dependent on many variables ranging from the learning process, quality of the assessment instruments to the test administration process and procedure.  ,The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is one of such public examinations in Nigeria.  ,It is an international examination conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in Anglophone West Africa.  ,The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is a high-stake examination since high performance in the Examination is among the pre-requisite requirements for admissions into tertiary institutions, employment and promotions.  ,As a result, many ill-prepared prospective candidates seek unethical means of acquiring WAEC Certificates as proof of educational attainment.  ,There is no gainsaying that the standard procedures adopted for the development of assessment instrument have a lot of built-in checks which ensure that the tests are reliable and valid.  ,However, if the test administration stage of an assessment system is not properly handled, the assessment outcome could be distorted.  ,This Paper examines the potential sources of distortion during the administration of WASSCE and the marking of WASCE scripts in Nigeria.  ,It discusses the pragmatic strategies that have been adopted over time by the Nigeria Office of the West African Examinations Council to expand the framework for action in order to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of its processes for test administration and marking.  ,The evidence of success, other approaches that are being explored and the challenges encountered are highlighted while some possible areas of focus for further improvement are suggested.Key issues:  ,Assessment outcomes, test procedures, WAEC action framework for tests.

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