Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Computerized Test in Curbing Examination Misconduct in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract

Advancement in technology has made possible the redesigning of modes of testing to suit the 21st-century assessment which measures diverse skills more accurately. Computerised testing, also known as a computer-based test, is a test deployed through the internet or a local area network and scored electronically. The problem of examination misconduct in our educational institutions has put the nation at risk of achieving higher academic standards and portends adverse consequences for UTME as a yardstick for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Computerised testing has become a necessary intervention to assist in curbing examination misconduct. The study investigates the effectiveness of computerised tests in curbing examination misconduct in the UTME between 2014 and 2023 in Nigeria. The study sought to evaluate the deployment of computerised tests to ascertain their effectiveness in curbing examination misconduct in the UTME between 2014 and 2023 in Nigeria. Three research questions and hypotheses are used to guide the study. The study adopted an ex-post-facto research design. The population of the study was 16,503,116 candidates, and a sample of 57,994 was selected using purposive sampling. The study used percentages to answer research questions and the chi-square test to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The result revealed that computer testing is an effective method of curbing examination misconduct in academic institutions in Nigeria. The study recommended, among others, that enough resources should be directed towards realisation of the potentials of computerised tests in all public and private examinations to eliminate all forms of examination misconduct in Nigeria.