Former Deputy Minister of Education, Alex Kyeremeh, says the standardisation of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) across member countries of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) means students can no longer depend heavily on past questions to excel.
Speaking to Isaac Addae on Morning Starr on Starr FM, he said the current examination system is different from what prevailed under the previous system, where students could be given past questions to practice and later encounter similar questions in the examination.
According to him, such a practice made it possible for some students to obtain good grades without necessarily demonstrating a strong understanding of what they had been taught.
He explained that the examination calendar was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in Ghana and other WAEC member countries writing their examinations at different times.
However, he said the countries have, in recent years, returned to writing the same examination, making the papers more standardised across the region.
“Now the examination is now standardised to the same examination that all the West African nations are writing.”
Mr Kyeremeh said the development means students must adequately prepare for the examination rather than rely on familiarity with past questions.
He stressed that performance in WASSCE should ultimately reflect the quality of preparation students receive in school.
He also linked students’ performance to the amount of instructional time available to them, arguing that reduced contact hours can affect their ability to adequately prepare for standardised examinations.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Pamela Quayson
