expectation to have up to 25,000 computers located in various centers’ throughout the country (Oladipo 2009; cited by Olumorin et al., 2013).
Ayo, Akinyemi, Adebiyi and Ekong (2007) cited by Adegbija et al., (2012) proposed a model for e-examination for the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB) as a way of curbing examination irregularities. Thus, the adoption of e-examinations by many institutions in Nigeria since the conventional examination is plagued with several pitfalls such as examination leakages, impersonations, inadequate supervisors, demand for gratification by markers so that results can be influenced, bribe taking by supervisors or invigilators, and the most devastating of these is the delay and/or in many cases, non-release or delay of examination results especially where there are large classes or public examinations.
E-examination can be used to assess cognitive and practical abilities. Cognitive abilities are assessed using e-testing software; practical abilities are assessed using e-portfolios or simulation software (Yu, 2004; cited by Sadiq and Onianwa, 2011).Computer based test has been immensely advocated mainly by JAMB among other examination bodies in Nigeria. The entire process has its strengths and weaknesses.
The Prospects of CBT in the Conduct of Examination in Nigeria is that CBT have advantages over PPT testing, both for states that run the assessment programs and for the students’ who participate in them. These advantages are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, which is one of its major initiatives (Race to the Top Assessment Program), encouraged the development of CBT (Thurlow et al., 2010). However, advocates of CBT have identified many positive prospects of this approach to assessment which are:
(1) More efficient than paper-based tests (2) Year-round testing (3) Flexible scheduling (4) Individualized testing environment (5) Faster score reporting, within approximately two weeks of testing (6) Immediate viewing of scores on screen (7) Convenient to undergraduates, graduates, and the larger university community (8) Ability to access all tests that are demanded by students and the community at large (9) Worldwide testing opportunities for distance and travelling students (10) Local and centralized registration and billing systems
(11) Enhanced consistency and security
The Challenges of CBT in Nigeria are to some extent much. Computer Based Test is still a new phenomenon in Nigeria. However, CBT in the conduct of examination in Nigeria poses a lot of challenges. These challenges include:
1) Economic factor: ICTs remain a low financial priority in most educational systems in Africa. Most countries in the region lack resources for a sustainable integration of ICTs in education (Evoh, 2007; cited by Adomi and kpangban, 2010).This has made it difficult for Nigerian educational system to acquire and install ICT facilities for the use of teachers and students. Nigeria has over 6,000 public secondary schools and majority are short of books, paper and pencils. Many of the schools lack adequate infrastructure such as classrooms and only few are equipped with television or radio and apart from the basic computers themselves, other costs associated with peripherals such as printers, monitors, paper, modem, extra disk drives are beyond the reach of most schools in Nigeria.
2) Security factor: Existing biometric and non-biometric e-examination system involved sending examination questions to the e-exam centre from the examination bodies, where operator will then enter the questions into the system. The biometric system consists of picture box and fingerprint scanner that collect the biometric data of the candidates (Olawale and Shafi’i, 2010).
3) Poor ICT culture, policy and implementation: The ICT revolution is yet to attain that critical mass required for it to register the necessary impact in the teaching, student and civilian population nationwide. Whilst Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), University of Jos (UNIJOS), and the Federal College of Education in Omoku could be said to be in the vanguard, the majority of Nigeria’s universities, polytechnics, Nursing and Midwifery schools, and colleges of education lack computers (Osei, 2007).
4) Poor ICT funding: E-learning and ICT application to education in general may come of age in Nigerian schools. Schools in Nigeria are not given adequate funds to provide furniture, requisite books, laboratories and adequate classrooms let alone being given adequate funds for high-tech equipment (computers) and Internet connectivity (Aduwa-Ogiegbaen and Iyamu, 2005).
5) Poor information infrastructure: The lack of requisite telecommunications infrastructure capable of transporting multimedia messaging (Osei, 2007) is another major challenge. Research confirms that one among the impediment to the use of ICT in Nigerian school is poor information infrastructure. It has been reported by South-wood (2004) cited by (Adomi and kpangban, 2010) that more than 40% of the population of Africa is in areas not covered by telecom services. Schools located in such areas will experience ICT connectivity problems.
6) Power failure: The lack of electric power and telecommunications infrastructure in a considerable part of the country is a problem. Mobile telecommunication currently covers 60% of the national territory, but mobile telephone companies generally power their base stations using private electric power generators since the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) is unable to guarantee supply of power. This phenomenon is prevalent nationwide and constitutes the bottleneck to effective countrywide deployment of ICT in education (Osei, 2007)
7) Inadequate ICT manpower/skills: Nigeria does not only lack information infrastructure, it also lacked the human skills and knowledge to fully integrate ICT into secondary school education. There is acute shortage of trained personnel in application software, operating systems, network administration and local technicians to service and repair computer facilities. Those who are designated to use computers in Nigeria do not receive adequate training, and at worst, do not receive any training at all (Okebukola, 1997; Anao, 2003; cited by Aduwa-Ogiegbaen and Iyamu, 2005).
8) Software factors: There is no doubt that the ultimate power of technology is the content and the communication. Software developers and publishers in the developed countries have been trying for long to develop software and multimedia that have universal application, due to the differences in education standards and requirements. However, these products do not integrate into curriculum across countries. Salomon (1989) cited by Aduwa-Ogiegbaen and Iyamu (2005) stated that there are clear indications from many countries that the supply of relevant and appropriate software is a major bottleneck obstructing wider application of the computer.
9) Gender equity: Nigeria is confronted with a persistent problem in girls’ education, principally in the northern and rural areas, because of traditional beliefs and roles reserved for girls in the family and religious set-ups. This has prompted government to embrace gender equity programmes in education. However, school enrolment disparities still exist in the rural and northern areas (Osei, 2007). Students with insufficient computer literacy or differences in computer performance may be disadvantaged despite their expertise/understanding in the course content (Charles et al., 2013).
10) Accessibility to the internet: In Nigeria there are few Internet providers that provide Internet gateway services to Nigerians. Many of these internet providers (i.e. companies) provide poor services to customers who are often exploited and defrauded. The few reputable companies which render reliable services charged soaring fees thus limiting access to the use of the Internet. The
