THE EFFECT OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE ON SUCCESSFUL EDUCATIONAL ACQUISITION IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This problem of examination malpractice has long been discovered by school administrators, examination bodies and students
across the nation. The study made use of the descriptive survey method to carry out the research, and simple random sampling
techniques was used to select 20 out of the 105 secondary schools in Kwara state, (10 public and 10 private). the simple random sampling
techniques was further used to select 250 ss3 students from the schools, 100 of them were arts based, 80 commercial and the remaining 70 from the science class.

The results were analyzed using the chi-square test. It was discovered that students are most likely to cheat due to inadequate preparations for examinations, concern for high grades and better job projects, inadequate supervision, students’ choosing courses on the basis of prestige and not on their individual ability and poor sitting arrangement in an examination.

Suggestion and recommendations on how to curb the problem of cheating in examination include orientation and seminars on the side
effects of cheating. It was also recommended that overcrowding should be avoided in examination rooms. It is hoped that the study will
provide teachers, parents, school administrators and examination bodies the opportunity to evolve policies and programmes that will
motivate students to read their books and desist from examination malpractices.