As part of preparations for the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), the Delta State Government has organized a test item generation workshop in Asaba to produce credible, reliable, and valid examination questions.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Secondary Education, Chief (Mrs.) Rose Ezewu, JP, explained that the workshop was designed to develop test items that effectively assess teaching and learning outcomes in line with the approved school curriculum. She noted that the exercise also provides a platform for experienced subject teachers to review previous assessment instruments and develop new ones. According to her, this would strengthen the Ministry’s question bank and ensure the availability of sufficient quality items for accurately assessing the eligibility of JS 3 students for certification.
The Commissioner urged subject specialists to apply their professional knowledge and experience in producing high-quality test items. She also commended the resource persons and participants for their valuable contributions to the success of similar exercises in previous years.
In her welcome address, the Director of Examinations and Standards, Mrs. Clementina Ojumah, described the workshop as an annual initiative of the Ministry of Secondary Education, bringing together seasoned teachers who are experts in their respective subject areas. She reiterated that the goal was to develop standardized, valid, and reliable test items strictly based on the approved scheme of work. She added that the exercise would further enrich the Ministry’s question bank and enhance the credibility and integrity of future BECE examinations across the state.
Mrs. Ojumah stated that each participant was required to produce fifty multiple-choice questions, five essay questions, two practical questions, and two project-based questions. She emphasized that all questions must be developed using an appropriate table of specifications relevant to each subject area and must be accompanied by clear and well-structured marking schemes.
She explained that this approach was aimed at promoting uniformity, ease of administration, and fairness in the marking process across the state.
The workshop featured presentations by resource persons, including Dr. (Barr.) Emmanuel Oniyama of the College of Education, Warri, and Dr. Adams Ekwevugbe of Delta State University, Abraka, who spoke on emerging subject thematic areas and guidelines for effective test item generation, respectively.
