WASSCE, NECO and UTME as correlates of first-year undergraduates' academic performance in Nigeria: A Case study of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma

Abstract

The study investigated the relationship between students’ academic performance in school Certificate Examinations,( SSCE, NECO and WASSCE) & University and Tertiary institutions Examination  (UTME) and students’ academic performance at the first-year in Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State. Two research questions and one hypothesis were raised and tested to guide the study. The correlational design was adopted for the study. 1232 first-year (100level) undergraduates were drawn by purposive sampling technique from the population of undergraduates across faculties in the institution. A Self-Developed Academic Performance Inventory titled: API was used to collate data of first-year students’ Grade Point Average (GPA) and their O-levels results after due permission was taken from necessary authorities. Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was used to test the hypotheses. Findings showed a direct relationship between undergraduates first-year performance and their academic performance in WASSCE (r =*.791, p<0.01), NECO (r =*.405 p<0.01) and UTME (r =*.408, p<0.01). Based on the strength of the correlation alpha (r), undergraduates’ performance in WASSCE was found the most strongly related to their first-year performance. Consequently, it was recommended that university administrators and the government should give WASSCE first-place recognition among other O-level examination requirements needed for entry into tertiary institutions by prospective higher education candidates in Nigeria.