Key takeaways
- CBT suits objective questions; essays and practicals still need teachers.
- You need enough working devices, backup power and a platform that stores questions securely.
- Build and review a question bank before you buy more equipment.
- Start with practice tests, then class tests, then larger exams.
Quick answer: what is CBT and is it right for your school?
CBT is testing on a computer. Students see questions on screen, choose answers, and the system scores objective items instantly. It is right for your school if you regularly give multiple-choice or short-answer tests, want faster results, and can provide reliable devices and power. It is not a replacement for essays, practicals or oral work.
There is also a practical reason many Nigerian schools look at it: candidates for exams such as JAMB's UTME sit on computers, so familiarity with the format reduces anxiety. Practice does not have to wait until the final year.
Benefits: what CBT genuinely gives you
- Faster marking: objective papers are scored as soon as students submit, so teachers spend time on teaching and feedback.
- Fewer marking errors: no miscounted ticks or wrongly totalled scripts.
- Reusable question banks: good questions can be reused and improved year after year.
- Randomisation: questions and options can be shuffled to make copying harder.
- Item analysis: you can see which questions many students missed, showing what to reteach.
- Format practice: students become comfortable with on-screen timing, navigation and flagging questions.
- Less paper: savings on printing and photocopying for frequent tests.
Be honest about the limits. CBT does not make a poor question good, and it does not assess writing, working-out or practical skill.
What you need: equipment, power and network
Plan from the exam hall backwards.
- Devices: one per candidate in a sitting, or run in batches. Computers or tablets must be reliable and similar, with screens big enough to read without strain.
- Power: assume power will fail. Use inverters or UPS units for the lab, and a generator or solar backup for the room and network gear. Test how long the backup actually lasts under full load.
- Network: many schools run a local network, with a server machine inside the building and devices connected by cable or Wi-Fi. This avoids dependence on mobile data, and the exam keeps running if the internet drops. Others use online platforms, which need a stable connection and enough bandwidth for the whole group at once.
- Peripherals: mice, headsets if audio is used, and a projector or screen for instructions.
- Space: enough room that candidates cannot see each other's screens, ideally with desks facing the same direction and invigilators able to see all screens.
- Staff: an exam officer, a technical person and invigilators.
If you do not have enough devices for the whole class, run it in sittings. That is normal and fine, provided you manage the security gap between sittings.
Choosing a CBT platform: what to check
- Does it work on a local network without internet during the exam?
- Which question types are supported: single choice, multiple answer, true or false, fill-in, images, passages with several questions?
- Can it display maths and science symbols correctly?
- Can it randomise questions and options, and set time limits per paper?
- What happens if a device crashes mid-exam: are answers saved, can the student resume with the timer correct?
- Can teachers upload questions in bulk from a document or spreadsheet?
- Can results export to your results system, so scores flow into report cards?
- Who can see questions before the exam, and are they stored securely?
- Can you export your question bank, so you are not locked in?
Ask for a trial with 20 or 30 devices at once. Many tools look fine with one user and struggle with a full lab.
Building a good question bank
The question bank is the real asset. Treat it carefully.
- Organise by subject, class, topic and difficulty. Tag each question with the objective it tests.
- Write clear stems. One idea per question, no trick wording, no double negatives.
- Make options plausible. Wrong options should reflect real misconceptions, not obvious jokes. Keep options similar in length, and avoid always placing the answer in the same position.
- Have a second teacher review each question for accuracy, difficulty and curriculum fit, and confirm the marked answer is correct.
- Draw more questions than you need so each paper can pick randomly from the bank.
- Review after every test. Use item analysis: remove or fix questions nearly everyone gets right or wrong for the wrong reasons.
- Protect the bank. Limit who can edit it and keep backups.
Expect this to take real teacher time. A modest, well-checked bank is worth more than a large, careless one.
Keeping CBT fair and secure
- Controlled access: each candidate gets a login or exam code, valid only for their paper and session.
- Locked-down devices: where possible, restrict the exam to the test screen so students cannot open other programs or sites.
- Shuffled papers: different order for each candidate.
- Time limits and auto-submit at the end.
- Supervision: invigilators walk the room. CBT does not remove the need for human supervision.
- Sitting-to-sitting security: no phones, no discussion between batches, and fresh question selections for each.
- Access logs: a record of who opened or submitted what and when, helpful in disputes.
- Question confidentiality: restrict bank access, and keep exam files off shared computers.
Be fair too: accessibility matters. Consider larger text options or extra time for students with documented needs, in line with school policy.
Running an exam day, and what to do when things go wrong
Rehearse the day with a short practice paper, then use this routine.
- The day before: charge or power up all devices, test logins, confirm the server is running and the paper is loaded, check backup power.
- On arrival: seat candidates, give a short briefing on navigation, flagging, time and what to do if something freezes.
- During: invigilators watch screens; the technical person stays in or near the room.
- At the end: confirm every candidate has submitted, then back up the results immediately.
When problems arise:
- Power cut: switch to backup, pause the timer if the platform allows it, and let affected candidates resume. Record what happened.
- Device freeze: move the candidate to a spare device and resume. This is why you keep spares.
- Network drop: a local-network exam should continue; if online, the platform should save answers and resume.
- Dispute about a score: check the saved answers and logs, not memory.
A staged plan: from class quiz to formal exams
- Pilot with practice tests that carry no marks. Let students and teachers make mistakes safely.
- Move to class tests in one or two subjects with objective questions.
- Build the bank across subjects, reviewing as you go.
- Run a mock for final-year students, particularly if they will face computer-based public exams.
- Consider term exams for objective sections, with written sections still on paper. A mixed approach is common and sensible.
Review after each stage. If students struggle with the keyboard or mouse, build that into computer lessons. In primary schools, use CBT mainly for practice, with age-appropriate design and short sessions.
Frequently asked questions
Do CBT exams need internet?
Not always. Many schools run CBT on a local network, with a server machine in the building, so the exam continues if the internet fails. Online platforms need a stable connection and enough bandwidth for every candidate at once, so ask about offline behaviour before choosing.
Can CBT mark essay questions?
Not reliably. Automatic marking suits objective questions such as multiple choice, true or false and short fixed answers. Essays, practical work and working-out in mathematics still need a teacher, so many schools combine CBT for objective sections with written papers.
How many computers do we need for CBT?
Ideally one per candidate in a sitting, but you can run in batches. Plan extra spare devices for failures. The right number depends on class size, paper length and how many sittings you can manage without weakening security.
How do we prevent cheating in CBT?
Combine shuffled questions and options, individual logins, time limits, locked-down exam screens, supervised rooms with visible screens, and fresh question selections for each batch. No tool replaces invigilators, so keep them present in every sitting.
Is CBT suitable for primary schools?
It can work for short practice quizzes and basic assessment with age-appropriate design: large text, simple navigation and brief sessions. Primary pupils also need mouse and keyboard practice first, so build that into computer lessons before testing.
What should we do if power fails during a CBT exam?
Switch to backup power, pause the timer if the platform supports it, and let affected candidates resume from saved answers. Record the incident. Before exam day, test how long your backup lasts under full load so failure does not surprise you.
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This guide is general advice. Every device and business is different, so if you are unsure, ask a technician before you act.
