WAEC, Dummy Practicals and the Quiet Spread of Examination Malpractice, by Folaranmi Ajayi

Editor's note: In this piece, Folaranmi Ajayi examines how passive malpractice, like leaked specimens and teacher-led assistance, threatens the credibility of WAEC exams, calling for stricter enforcement and systemic reform in Nigerian schools.

Last week, I received a call from an old colleague in education. He was supervising WAEC at a school and needed urgent help. The request was simple but troubling. He wanted me to solve Literature in English questions for some students and pass the answers to them before their exam.

“Enigma, can you help us solve Literature-in-English questions, just like old times,” he said casually.

I declined. Politely but firmly. I told him I no longer take part in anything related to examination malpractice. And that phone call reminded me of something I have come to understand over the years. Most people in the education space, either as students, teachers, or exam officials, have at one point or another been part of this problem. Some were dragged in. Others joined willingly. But when you know better, you must do better. You cannot continue to destroy a system you are meant to build.

This brings me to something we do not talk about enough: passive examination malpractice.

One of the most common forms of this in WAEC examinations is the circulation of specimens for practical subjects like Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Agricultural Science. These specimens are not meant for the students. WAEC clearly states that candidates should not receive them either directly or indirectly. But every year, students get access to them long before their practical paper.

In fact, schools organise dummy practicals where these exact specimens are used. Teachers drop clues, guide students, and in many cases, solve the answers in advance. Some teachers defend this practice by saying they are only preparing their students, but the truth is they are spoon feeding them. This denies the students the chance to apply what they have been taught.

Faith-based schools that claim to promote honesty are not left out. I have worked in such schools and seen how they quietly prepare students using leaked specimen details while publicly speaking against malpractice. The non-faith-based schools are even more open about it. For them, it has become a business. Parents pay large fees with the expectation of guaranteed results, and schools ensure that the promise is delivered by all means necessary.

There is another issue that makes all of this worse. Teachers who teach a particular subject are often allowed to invigilate that same subject during WAEC exams. This is a major loophole. Teachers sometimes use this opportunity to pass answers or guide students during the paper. This should not be happening. WAEC must enforce a policy that bars subject teachers from invigilating their papers.

Supervisors, too, are easily compromised. Many see the WAEC season as a time to make extra money and enjoy good food. They arrive at schools expecting hospitality and cash incentives. Some are even given envelopes by school authorities. In some schools, students are forced to pay what principals describe as logistics fees. This daily payment is used to service both internal and external supervisors. The few supervisors who refuse to cooperate are treated with hostility. They are monitored closely and sometimes even delayed on purpose just to frustrate their efforts.

For someone like me who has worked at different levels of WAEC examinations, it is heartbreaking to admit that the process has become as casual as classwork. Students walk into exam halls knowing full well that the answers will either be written on the board for them to copy or solved on A4 paper and photocopied in bulk. These papers are then distributed to all students in the hall. They no longer feel the need to prepare or study. They wait for the “support system” that the school promises them.

WAEC has to take control. One important reform would be to handle the supply of practical specimens directly. Let WAEC provide all the materials and apparatus needed, and have the assigned supervisor bring them on the day of the exam. This would stop the schools and teachers from accessing them beforehand and put an end to dummy practicals.

Yes, it may be more expensive and take more effort, but it is worth it. We are talking about the credibility of an entire education system. Exams are meant to test what students know, not what teachers and school administrators can help them answer.

Specimen question papers should not be in circulation before exams. But they are. And schools are fully aware. This quiet malpractice does not happen in the open, but it is there in plain sight — in dummy practicals, in teacher-led invigilation, in bribed supervisors, and in schools promising miracles instead of merit.

We must stop pretending that cheating only happens when a student sneaks in a piece of paper. It often begins long before the examination, inside staff rooms, school group chats, and so-called revision sessions.

WAEC, the ball is in your court.

Until we confront the silent rot of passive malpractice, we will continue to raise students who can pass exams but fail life’s real tests.

Folaranmi Ajayi is an educator, journalist, and education policy writer passionate about transforming Nigeria’s education sector.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Legit.ng.

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng