WAEC candidates stranded for hours as exam fails to start on time in multiple schools across Abia State.
Candidates participating in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in Aba, Abia State, were seen exiting examination centres as late as 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday following unexpected delays in the conduct of the English Language paper.
SouthEast Reporters’ investigations revealed that the exam, scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m., did not commence as planned in several secondary schools across the city.
As of 12 noon, multiple centres were still waiting for WAEC invigilators and exam materials to arrive, leaving candidates anxious and uncertain about the status of the day’s paper.
It was alleged that in most schools, the English Language exam eventually began around 2:00 p.m., causing a chain reaction that forced students to finish late into the evening.
Despite repeated efforts, Real FM could not reach senior officials of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in the region for comments regarding the cause of the delay.
In addition to the late start, SouthEast Reporters gathered that this year’s English Language paper was presented in multiple customized formats.
Candidates confirmed that although the objective questions remained the same, both the order of questions and numbering varied between individuals. The arrangement of answer options was also reshuffled in each version of the paper.
Similarly, the theory section appeared in different types, with unique versions assigned to different candidates within the same exam centre, further adding to the irregularities of the day.
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