Comparison of Item Parameters of WAEC, NECO and NABTEB Mathematics Multiple Choice Questions Obtained Using IRT in Anambra State
Article Sidebar
Page Numbers:
195-212
Digital Object Identifier:
10.58578/ijemt.v4i2.9347
Viewed: 0 times
Downloaded: 0 times
LYAS Publisher cordially invites qualified professionals to serve as Editors or Reviewers. Your expertise will make an important contribution to maintaining and strengthening the academic quality of our publications. Interested applicants are kindly requested to complete the application form at the following link: Editors & Reviewers
Please feel free to contact us if you need any further information about the submission process or if you have any additional questions.
Authors:Hassan Muhammad1*
Copyright :Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication.
Main Article Content
Abstract
Nigeria’s senior school certificate examinations are administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examinations Council (NECO), and National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB); however, the psychometric comparability of their Mathematics items requires systematic evaluation. This study compared the mean difficulty, discrimination, and guessing parameters of the Mathematics multiple-choice items administered by the three examination bodies in 2022 and 2023. A descriptive survey design was employed, guided by six research questions and six corresponding hypotheses. The population comprised 57,150 Senior Secondary 3 students from public secondary schools, with reported registrations of 57,150 for WAEC, 44,853 for NECO, and 2,250 for NABTEB. A sample of 1,600 students was selected through a multistage sampling procedure. The instruments consisted of the 2022 and 2023 Mathematics multiple-choice examination items developed by WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB, which were administered by trained research assistants who were Mathematics teachers in the sampled schools. Responses were subjected to item analysis within an item response theory framework using Mplus Version 7.4. Mean parameter estimates were calculated to answer the research questions, while one-way analysis of variance was conducted at the .05 significance level to test the hypotheses. For both years, NABTEB items had the highest mean difficulty parameters, followed by WAEC and NECO. In 2022, NABTEB items had the highest mean discrimination parameter, followed by WAEC and NECO; in 2023, WAEC ranked highest, followed by NABTEB and NECO. For the guessing parameter, NABTEB ranked highest in 2022, followed by NECO and WAEC, whereas NECO ranked highest in 2023, followed by NABTEB and WAEC. Statistically significant differences were found among the examination bodies in the mean difficulty, discrimination, and guessing parameters during the period examined. These findings demonstrate variation in the psychometric characteristics of the three examinations and underscore the need for WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB to strengthen their item-analysis and test-development procedures.
Citation Metrics:
Downloads
Citation Metrics & Similar Scopus Articles
-
Yan Y. (2027)Advances in TMDs-Based Electromagnetic Wave Absorbers: From Structural Engineering to Multicomponent SynergyNano Micro Letters, 19(1)
-
Urazkeldiyeva D.A. (2027)Development of technology for obtaining high-purity sodium chloride with induced impurity removal and process modelingKompleksnoe Ispolzovanie Mineralnogo Syra, 342(3), 56-64
-
Davoodi A. (2027)A Reflection on The Moral Virtues And Vices Described in Nahj al-Balāghah in The Light of Image SchemasLanguage Related Research, 17(4), 103-137
Article Details
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
References
Aborisade, O. J., & Fajobi, O. O. (2020). Comparative analysis of psychometric properties of mathematics items constructed by WAEC and NECO in Nigeria using item response theory approach. Educational Research and Reviews, 15(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.5897/ERR2019.3850
Alfred, A. O. (2013). Scoring tests with dichotomous and polychromous items. University of Georgia.
Asuquo, U. B., Joseph, E., & Bassey, H. E. (2022). Measurement models and the psychometric properties of 2016 and 2017 NECO mathematics instrument in Calabar Education Zone of Cross River State. Journal of Advances in Education and Philosophy, 6(6), 311–319. https://doi.org/10.36348/jaep.2022.v06i06.001
Awopeju, O. A., & Afolabi, E. R. I. (2016). Comparative analysis of classical test theory and item response theory-based item parameter estimates of senior school certificate mathematics examination. European Scientific Journal, 12(28), 263–284. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2016.v12n28p263
Bandele, S. O., & Adewale, A. E. (2013). Comparative analysis of the reliability and validity coefficients of WAEC, NECO and NABTEB constructed mathematics examination. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 3(2), 397–402. https://doi.org/10.5901/jesr.2013.v3n2p397
Fajobi, O. O. (2024). Examining the psychometric properties of WAEC and NECO mathematics items for Nigerian secondary schools using a 3-parameter logistic model. UNIZIK Journal of Educational Research and Policy Studies, 17(3), 302–314. https://unijerps.org/index.php/unijerps/article/view/694
Kanzow, A. F., Schmidt, D., & Kanzow, P. (2023). Scoring single-response multiple-choice items: Scoping review and comparison of different scoring methods. JMIR Medical Education, 9, Article e44084. https://doi.org/10.2196/44084
Metibemu, M. A. (2016). Comparison of classical test theory and item response theory frameworks in the development and equating of physics achievement tests in Ondo State, Nigeria [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Ibadan.
National Bureau of Statistics. (2025). Statistics of entries and results, 2004–2012.
National Business and Technical Examinations Board. (2020). No. 6 on the grading system for NBC/NTC (ordinary level) [Information bulletin].
Nwankwo, O. O. (2023). The item difficulty and discrimination indices of Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) multiple-choice chemistry tests of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) using classical test theory in Benue State. International Journal of Asian Social Sciences, 3(4), 130–135.
Oghenerume, R. A. (2022). Comparative analysis of item statistics of WASSCE and NECO SSCE 2022 data processing multiple-choice tests using item response theory [Unpublished master’s thesis]. University of Benin.
Oghenerume, R. A. (2025). Item statistics disparity between 2023 WASSCE and NECO SSCE mathematics large-scale assessments. International Journal of Educational Researchers, 16(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijer.2025.1295.1
Oghenerume, R. A., & Egberha, F. (2024). Comparative analysis of item statistics of WASSCE and NECO SSCE 2023 data processing multiple-choice tests using item response theory. International Journal of Educational Researchers, 15(1), 58–67. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijer.2024.652.4
Ogunbamowo, A. O., Adediwura, A. A., & Diyan, R. O. (2019). Psychometric properties of 2017 West African Examination Council and National Examinations Council’s economic senior school certificate examination items. Journal of Advances in Education and Philosophy, 3(1), 9–18. https://doi.org/10.21276/jaep.2019.3.1.2
Oyiborhoro, A. V., Odili, J. N., & Osadebe, P. U. (2023). Application of item response theory in the validation of basic science test of Delta State Basic Education Certificate Examination. International Journal of Research in Education and Sustainable Development, 3(7), 1–13. https://www.openjournals.ijaar.org/index.php/ijresd/article/view/27
Oyiborhoro, P. E., Odili, J. N., & Osadebe, P. U. (2023). Assessment of concurrent validity of Delta State BECE basic science multiple-choice items using item response theory. African Journal of Educational Assessment, 19(2), 55–67.