Likely effects of strict marking of WASSCE 2022 Maths papers

WAEC has disclosed in its latest update that it will mark the WASSCE 2022 Maths Papers With “Iron Hands” thus strictly following the leakage of sections of the paper on social media.

Increased examination malpractices have characterized the WASSCE in the last five years. Malpractice involves a deliberate act of wrongdoing, contrary to official examination rules, and is designed to place a candidate at an unfair advantage or disadvantage.

An examination is said to be leaked if the content of the examination or any part of the examination is disclosed prior to taking the examination. The portions of the questions which were then written and found their way online can be described technically as a leakage. However, the extent of the leak will have to be considered in coming out with decisions as to what to do.

The High Stakes of the exam or a subject can trigger leakage and increase malpractices as experienced in the two mathematics subjects.

READ: WAEC to mark WASSCE 2022 Maths Papers With “Iron Hands”

The decision to ensure strict marking of WASSCE 2022 Maths papers may be due to the fact that the leakage was not widespread and that it was the leakage of some sections of the Elective and Core Mathematics Paper instead of the entire paper.

But no matter how you look at this, WAEC has its credibility at stake and will ensure that it catches up with candidates who might have had access to the leaked papers.

There are good and bad effects and consequences if the West African Examination Council goes ahead with its decision.

Firstly, the strict marking of WASSCE 2022 Maths papers may lead to more failure than should be the case. It is also possible that candidates who never had access to the said leakages will be affected negatively.

READ: WAEC to mark WASSCE 2022 Maths Papers With “Iron Hands”

What are the likely effects of strict marking of WASSCE 2022 Maths papers?

#1. Mass failure in core Mathematics and Selective Maths will hinder the education progress of WASSCE 2022 candidates and push many of them to re-sit the said papers as private candidates in 2023.

#2. If the leakage is confirmed as a widespread activity during the marking of the scripts, the consequences of the offence may not only affect individual candidates but also their respective schools.

#3. Candidates who genuinely solved these questions and were previewed to the leaked questions, but become scapegoats, will feel very cheated and disappointed in the final decision of WAEC.

#4. Examining is a ruthless business, full of unqualified markers who rush through papers quickly. This decision to mark scripts with “Iron hands” can be abused by some examiners if not properly monitored.

It is the hope of 2022 WASSCE candidates who are still writing their Senior High School leaving examination that, when WAEC applies the whip, it will affect only those who had access to the leaked papers.

But how accurate will WAEC be in using the strict marking of the scripts as a punitive action? A cross-section of the public has called for WAEC to cancel the papers and call the candidates to rewrite the two papers, no matter the limited nature of the leakage.

Asking all the candidates to take the two papers all over again will also mean WAEC must incur extra costs to print and administer the two subjects.

Candidates writing the 2022 WASSCE are indeed sitting on tenterhooks and haven been informed of WAEC’s decision to strictly mark WASSCE 2022 Maths papers, they can only pray for the best.

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