A week ago, we reported the official cancellation
of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and
the Test of English for Foreign Learners (TOEFL) in
Nigeria – due to “security concerns”. Well, it
appears the guys in charge of both at the
Educational Testing Service (ETC) were being
(very) economical with the truth.

A Premium Times report tells a different story:

Despite the claim by the Educational Testing
Service (ETS) that it suspended the Graduate
Record Examination (GRE) and the Test of English
for Foreign Learners (TOEFL) in Nigeria due to
security concerns, some ETS agents who spoke to
PREMIUM TIMES suggest “large-scale examination
malpractices” and decay of infrastructure at
testing centres may be the real reason behind the
suspension.

In a statement posted on its website last week
Thursday, ETS stated that “Due to security
concerns in Nigeria, GRE® and TOEFL® testing in
the country has been suspended for an indefinite
period.”

An official response from its spokesperson didn’t
do much to clear the dust:

Responding to PREMIUM TIMES enquiry for details
of the security concerns, Christine Betaneli,
spokesperson for the Higher Education Division,
said she could not “elaborate further.”

She suggested it was routine exercise.

“I can tell you that ETS regularly monitors its
operations worldwide to ensure, among other
things, that its test centers are operating
according to our standards and that students will
be able to test in a secure environment. This may
result, from time to time, in testing operations
being suspended pending further review. Such is
the case in Nigeria,” she wrote in an email.

Agents of the service tell a different story:

However, ETS approved agents who spoke to
PREMIUM TIMES said the reason may actually be
the increasing cases of impersonation and other
examination malpractices and decay of
infrastructure in testing centres across the
country.

“The reason they gave was that there were large-
scale examination malpractices,” said Solomon
Ekong, an employee of E-Global International
Education, an ETS approved testing centre in
Lagos.

“As a Nigerian, exam malpractice cannot be
totally ruled out just like the local exams we have
in Nigeria. In our own centre we stand out.
Candidates have been coming to ask for special
assistance and the stuff like that. We tell them it
is not possible.

“We have been warning operators who have been
collecting money for exam runs. In fact people
have been reported to ETS in the past. Several
centres have been closed down before now based
on this particular issue,” he continued.

Brain Nnadikwe, an administrator of ETS
examination with another ETS-approved testing
centre, First New Generation (FNG), said ETS had
complained about widespread examination
malpractices in the country in the past.

“They’ve been complaining about malpractices for
a very long time. The only thing I know is
widespread is impersonation. Impersonation is a
very big issue,” he said.

Apparently, the ETS has quite a bit of blame in the
matter:

The operators however blame ETS as being part of
the problem. They said ETS pays lip services to
inspection of centres and invigilation during
examinations.

“Yes, we know that there have been malpractice
but ETS should also do a policing of the exam
themselves. Rather than leave it in the hands of
Nigerians they should have their own employed
representatives for the conduct of the exams.
They are not always present during the exam.
Occasionally they just come to see what is
happening and they leave. They don’t have their
in-house persons to monitor the conduct of the
exams. Sometimes it takes them time to really
remedy the issues,” said Mr. Nnadikwe.

Mr. Ekong complained that ETS did not consult its
agents in Nigeria before deciding to suspend the
examinations. He said this is bad for business as
well as for candidates.

“It doesn’t say well of our image as a nation,” Mr.
Ekong said. “We would have expected them to
send delegates to us before coming out with such
decision. We are talking about a whole nation for
Christ sake.

For now though, the tests remain suspended.

www.ynaija.com/revealed-the-real-reasons-gre-toefl-were-suspended-in-nigeria/

dis soooooo bad,very bad
God,pls help dis country

Why should we write toefl when we are taught all courses / subject in English. It's totally unnecessary