West African Examinations Council (Ghana region) Visits AKU-EB To Facilitate Exchange Of Ideas

​A delegation from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) conducted a visit to the Aga Khan University Examination Board (AKU-EB) from May 7-9, in order to learn about best assessment practices with a particular focus on the e-marking system. This marked first time that an international assessment body visited AKU-EB in order to participate in such an exchange, and stands as a testament to the growing global regard surrounding the institution. 

WAEC is an examination board that conducts the West African Senior School Certificate Examination for university entry in West African countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and the Gambia. The delegation consisted of Head, National Office, Ghana, WAEC, V. Rev. Dr Sam N. N. Ollennu; Head, National Examinations Administration Department, Ghana office, WAEC, Mrs Wendy E. Addy-Lamptey; Head, Test Development, Division of the Council, WAEC, Mr Carter K. Osafo; Head, Professional and Vocational Examinations Administration Department, WAEC, Mr George Ohene-Mantey; and Personal Assistant to the Head of National Office, WAEC, Mr D. Nii Djan Mensah.

The three day visit consisted of multiple activities including introductory presentations from both institutions about their mandate, scope and system of operations, followed by Q&A and discussion sessions. The delegation was also given a thorough briefing on AKU-EB’s e-marking system, and also visited an examination center at the Habib Public School in order to witness the type of facilities utilised during the conduct of examinations. A particular emphasis was placed on how AKU-EB provides students with a fair and transparent platform to take exams with, thus increasing both credibility and reliability of the scores achieved  

During the visit, AKU-EB conducted a round table discussion on Global Challenges in Student Assessment that saw participation by AKU-EB’s senior leadership, the delegation and multiple public and private sector educational stakeholders who had been invited. Topics of discussion about issues faced by students included Assessment of Higher Cognition, Language Barriers, Assessment of Skills and Assessment of Attitudes. The session received praise for being thorough and inclusive of a wide range of perspectives. 

The delegation also attended a presentation on AKU-EB’s Middle School Programme (MSP) by Dr Naveed Yousuf, Associate Director, Assessment, titled “Developing 21st Century Skills through Project-based learning: Implementation, Assessment, Impact”. The presentation also saw Dr Yousuf share the latest research conducted by his department, which validated the high reliability of MSP competency scores utilised by AKU-EB as the programme’s assessment and also proved that MSP competency scores of Grade 8 students could serve as a predictor for student performance in Grade 9.

Over the course of their visit WAEC delegates described their experiences as being both fruitful and productive, said that they benefited from exposure to diverse educational outlooks and experiences. 

“Despite the short duration of our stay, I am very glad that we made the decision to visit Pakistan. I have been very impressed by the quality of work AKU-EB engages in, and believe that many of its practices can benefit such institutions across the world,” remakrked V. Rev. Dr Sam N. N. Ollennu.​

​Ms Wendy E. Addy-Lamptey added: “Although WAEC operates on a much larger scale than AKU-EB, there are many positive ideas and steps that I believe we will be able to take back to our institution following this visit. I hope that this marks the beginning of a collaborative, open relationship between us, and that WAEC is also able to provide assistance to AKU-EB as it continues to grow.”