Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has demanded the cancellation of the proposed computer-based test format in the forthcoming West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) in Nigeria.

The forum stated that if such a mode of examination is permitted, there will be mass failure for students, especially in rural areas of northern states where computer skills are inadequate or completely absent.

Yerima Shettima, the National President of AYCF, made the demand in a statement released in Kaduna recently, arguing that the CBT exams should have been made optional, permitting candidates to choose between the normal pen-and-paper format and the computer-based approach.

According to Shettima, this would have allowed students to choose the format they were more comfortable with and capable of attempting successfully.

He revealed further that research carried out by the Forum in selected northern states like Zamfara, Jigawa, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, and Plateau, revealed that the CBT exams had consistently led to deceptive failure rates among students of public schools, where computer skills were often not taught.

He said: “Even the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board CBT exams have placed underprivileged students in a predicament as they struggle to answer questions in a format they are unfamiliar with.

“Many students who failed the CBT-based JAMB exams last year argued that their failures were a result of systemic failures, including insufficient facilities or network failures during the exams. Additionally, a lack of proper and adequate computer skills, coupled with outdated desktop computers that are not properly maintained by CBT centers further exacerbate the situation.”

The AYCF president explained that the call is important in preventing a massive failure rate among students who deserved fair and equal opportunities for success.