Automated Exam Correction: The New Frontier in Ethiopia’s Education Reform

Ethiopia’s education system has been undergoing an intensive structural overhaul in the past few years, spearheaded by Minister of Education, Birhanu Nega (Prof). Examination procedure reform, including a shift in the medium of testing from manual to digital tools, is one of the initiatives.

While opinions have been split on the potential efficacy of drastic reforms, the minor changes to test-taking protocols have had alarming results. Over a two-year period, a staggering 3.3pc of nearly 1.7 million prospective university entrants earned a passing grade.

Convinced that changes to the testing procedures have weeded out cheating, the Education Ministry is beginning to adopt digital tools to further bolster its examining capacities.

The two-year-old technology startup Qelem Meda is attempting to play a role in this emerging ed-tech sector by providing an automated examination system. An end-to-end tool capable of handling registration, certificate generation, attendance sheet management, and primarily correction is provided by the company. Qelem Meda’s system can also create detailed reports and statistical data by using smart analysis tools.

Desalegn Tesfaw, Marketing Manager of Qelem Meda, points to the system’s dynamic features, which can be tailored to any type of exam, as one of its standout features. He says both paper-based and online exams can be handled through their product.

“Several types of exams can be corrected by our system,” Desalegn told Shega.

The company has corrected nearly 4.6 million Grade 8 and Grade 6 Ministry Exams since its launch four years ago, with more than half completed in the current fiscal year. Qelem Meda has provided exam correction services across ten regional states and one city administration, including Addis Ababa, Afar, Amhara, and the Oromia Region.

Desalegn says strict data privacy procedures and a homegrown technology make its services a preferred option over imported alternatives. He estimates that nearly seven million dollars was spent annually for acquiring exam correction systems.

“We have developed a superior local alternative,” the marketing manager says.

Cheating and suspicious trends on paper-based exams can easily be identified by the system, according to Desalegn. He believes it becomes nearly impossible on online exams, as even attempts can be flagged with automatic notifications given to the supervisor.

This feature aligns with the Education Ministry’s ambitions to get a grip on the rampant cheating that has become a stereotypical feature of national exams. The authority’s efforts have managed to decrease the number of incidents from close to 20,170 to 859 within a year.

Despite relatively stable results for high-achieving students, with a high score of 649 out of 700 in university entrance exams last year, the national average was a meager 28.63. Both the National Educational Assessment and Examination Agency (NEAEA), which is entrusted with testing, and the Education & Training Authority, which is tasked with authentication, are increasingly adopting digital tools to improve their services.

Smart classrooms and investment in education technology are also part of the long-term goals of the Education Ministry.

Qelem Meda’s management believes in their products’ exportability as they try to provide comprehensive examination services in Ethiopia.