THE IMPACT OF USING INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN ELECTRONIC EXAMINATION (A CASE STUDY OF FACULTY OF ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI)

ABSTRACT This study investigated the impact of using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in electronic examinations, with a focus on the Faculty of Engineering, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. The research was guided by three objectives: to examine the relationship between ICT and electronic examination, to compare manual and ICT-based examination systems, and to explore the possibilities and challenges of integrating ICT in examination systems. A survey research design was adopted, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to 150 students, out of which 120 were retrieved and valid for analysis, representing an 80% response rate. Data were analyzed using frequency counts and simple percentages. The findings revealed a strong positive relationship between ICT and electronic examination, with 91.7% of respondents affirming that ICT encourages timely conduct and provision of examination results, 85.8% agreeing that ICT saves costs, and 85.0% confirming that ICT enhances security and reduces examination malpractices. Regarding the comparison between manual and ICT-based systems, 76.7% of students preferred e-examination over manual examination, 91.6% agreed that e-examination provides automatic feedback, and 81.7% believed it improves student performance. However, several challenges were identified, including lack of adequate electricity (85.8%), computer system/network failures (85.0%), cost of training students (73.3%), and student stress during e-examinations (64.2%). The study concluded that while ICT has significant potential to transform examination systems by improving efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing security, its full implementation faces infrastructural and technical challenges. Recommendations include improving electricity supply, investing in robust ICT infrastructure, providing adequate training for students and staff, and developing contingency plans for technical failures. The study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on ICT integration in educational assessment and provides valuable insights for policymakers, educational institutions, and examination bodies seeking to modernize their examination systems. Keywords: Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Electronic Examination, Manual Examination, Assessment, University of Maiduguri