This research work is about computer based examination system. CHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTION1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY An Examination is one of the best methods of evaluating the knowledge andability of an individual. Its purpose is to assess how much each student haslearned compared to fellow students in the same course or learning situation.Various examination methods are being used in higher education institutions toassess academic progress, such as paper-pencil-based examinations,assignments, presentations, etc. These methods are referred to as traditionalmethods. Traditional Examination refers to a formal examination administeredthrough question papers to which students respond in the form of writtenanswers to a limited choice of previously unseen examination questions, set inadvance and answered in examination centers where invigilators (examinationsupervisors) prevent communication between students and prohibit the use ofnotes or other revision aids. The inclusion of ICT in education has promoted institutional use of CBESwhich is also referred to as Electronic Examination, Computer Assisted Testing,Computerized Assessment, Computer Aided Assessment (CAA), ComputerBased Assessment (CBA),It is widely believed that all tests will one day be delivered on a computer ofsome sort (Bennett, 1998, 2002). However, it is difficult to accurately predict1
when this day will come. It has seemingly been just around the corner since theearly 1990s, when a handful of early adopters, including the ASVAB (Sands,Waters, & McBride, 1997) and the GRE® (Mills, 1999), signed on to computer-based testing (CBT). Today, dozens of admissions, placement, certification, andlicensure testing programs are administered on computer, with the numbergrowing each year. On the K–12 front, several states already conduct theirannual accountability testing on computer, and many others are poised to joinin. Hundreds of schools or districts also employ CBEs in a formative ordiagnostic role in service of instruction. Computer-based Examination (CBE) is an efficient way for test sponsors toprovide a secure, consistent environment for certification and licensure whilesignificantly enhancing the candidate experience. It is common for testingvolumes to increase after a full conversion from paper-based Examination(PBE) to CBE, often as a result of the availability of a greater number of testinglocations and more flexible scheduling and testing opportunities. Migrationfrom PBE to CBE does affect candidate behavior, however, and it is possiblefor some testing programs to experience brief reductions in demand triggered bycandidate apprehension regarding CBE. This sometimes results in either a last-minute increase in testing during final PBE administrations or candidateprocrastination to the last available computerized testing date. Therefore, thequestion facing licensing organizations is how to keep test volumes up and2
candidate uncertainty down when migrating from a paper-based to a computer-based Examination.The key to mitigating test volume risk and ultimately driving an increase indemand is ongoing marketing, candidate education and outreach. In terms ofpromoting the new computerized testing program, marketing and effectivecommunication can have an important impact on stakeholder acceptance ofCBE and comfort with its use.In order to allay candidate fears and minimize questions, it is prudent to launcha communications campaign early in the conversion process that directlyaddresses constituent concerns and promotes sustainable program interest. 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMThe challenges faced with Pencil-Paper Examination (PPE) or Paper basedExamination is overwhelming, they include but not limited to exam malpractice,inaccuracy in marking, delay in marking results. These challenges do not help inthe growth of the education sector of Nigeria.1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDYThe main aim of the research is to design and implement a computer basedExamination system, with the following objectives:1. Automatic generation of exam numbers for students.2. Enhanced security features to avoid exam malpractice.3
3. Real time processing of results for candidates.4. Specify a privilege to administrators to be able to change their question atwill before the examination date.1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
