Eradication of Examination Malpractice in Nigeria: the Way Forward

Abstract

The concern for quality and goal-oriented education in Nigeria necessitated this study. This is because a nation is driven by the quality of education provided for her citizens. However, education in Nigeria today can truly be said to be bedeviled by numerous problems one of which is examination malpractice. Thus, the paper discusses issues in examination malpractice, pointing out causes, consequences and the implications for the counselor. It also recommends ways of controlling the scourge.

Introduction/Definition Of Terms

It is true that no nation, can rise above the quality of education provided for her citizens. And since the advent of western education in Nigeria, examinations have being the major instrument used for the evaluation of learners (or students’ achievement). It is a means of assessing the quality and quantity or performance that an individual has accumulated at the end of a teaching process which may spread over a period of seventeen weeks: According to Adekate (1993), examinations are instruments used for the assessment of individuals skills and knowledge-content, both in general and specific areas of studies and over-all academic achievements.

To Liman, as cited by Arifayan (2004), examination in broad perspective is an instrument for testing, assessing, evaluation and accreditation. Thus in schools, examination is a potent instrument for judgment of knowledge or competence. On her own part, Alutu (2005) simply defined examination as a process of measuring how much knowledge a student in an institution of learning has acquired after exposing him/her to definite course of instruction.

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