WAEC to conduct exam for private candidates in January

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) is set to commence its new diet examination for private candidates in January 2018.

Head of Nigeria National Office (HNO), Mr Olu Adenipekun who disclosed this to reporters at the council’s testing and training centre in Ogba, Lagos said the new diet is to address the growing concern among stakeholders over alleged discrimination against private candidates by the examination body.

With the January-February diet, WAEC would conduct three examinations yearly. The other two are the May-June WASSCE and November-December for school and private candidates respectively.

The approved subjects are: Commerce, Financial Accounting, Christian Religious Studies, Economics, Geography, Government, Islamic Studies, Literature in English, English language, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Further Mathematics, General Mathematics, Agricultural Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Civic Education.

Already, registration for the new diet has commenced and would close on December 29.

According to the HNO, there have been growing concerns among stakeholders over what they perceive as discrimination against private candidates

“There has been a deluge of agitation, criticism and appeal across the West African sub-region for council to find a way of reducing the agony of long waiting experienced by the private candidates who desire another shot at the examination.

Adenipekun explained that the conduct of an additional diet of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) became necessary to give equal opportunities to candidates.

He said, ”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 opportunity of doing so with the private candidates examination.

“This situation is often cited as being responsible for the level of desperation oftentimes displayed by the perpetrators of examination malpractice at the examination centres. The Council have also observed with chagrin the penchant by external candidates to register for the WASSCE for school candidates which has led to an astronomical increase in examination cheats being caught during the conduct of the examination. Council, after thorough deliberations on the issue, approved that National Offices should commence the conduct of one additional diet every year of the WASSCE for private candidates.

Adenipekun disclosed that preparations for the conduct of the examination, billed for January 2018 have commenced and enjoined all concerned to support the council in its new task.

The HNO however clarified that the first series of the new diet will be urban based and will be extended to other areas as the number of candidates’ increases.

He called on prospective candidates to visit the Council’s corporate website –www.waecnigeria.org- to confirm available examination towns and subjects before obtaining the registration PIN.