Analysis of Content Validity of WASSCE and Mock Computer Studies Examination Items

Abstract

Despite the reliance on school-level Mock examinations to prepare students for high-stakes assessments, a critical research gap remains regarding whether these preparatory tests accurately mirror the content validity and domain representation of standardized final examinations in Computer Studies. To address this, this study evaluated and compared the content validity, structural alignment, and horizontal syllabus coverage of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and State Unified Mock Computer Studies examination items against the official WAEC/NECO syllabus. Using a qualitative document analysis design, we analyzed 8 past examination papers spanning four years (2015–2018) by mapping test items across 24 syllabus performance objectives grouped into nine themes. Two independent coders categorized items using explicit alignment rules () into Narrow (<30%), Average (30%–64%), and Wide () Horizontal Coverage tiers. The findings showed that WASSCE consistently maintained broader domain sampling, achieving Wide to Average Coverage across key themes like Information & Communication Technology and Computer Software. In contrast, the Mock examination suffered from severe construct under-representation, completely omitting up to seven of the nine curriculum themes. Expanding item volume in 2017 temporarily improved Mock coverage, demonstrating that restricted test length limits psychometric diagnostic quality. This study provides critical empirical evidence that current Mock examinations are structurally misaligned with final assessments, highlighting an urgent need for test developers to realign internal school examinations with national syllabus objectives to better equip students for high-stakes success.