ABSTRACT

This study investigated how Senior Secondary School two Centrally Set Examination Predict students performance in Senior Secondary Certificate Mathematics Examination in Abia State. A correlational survey research design was used for the study. Four research questions guided the study and four null hypotheses were formulated for the study. The population of the study was made up of 20623 students who participated in SS2 centrally set examination in Abia State in year 2014, 2015 and 2016 and their corresponding senior secondary school certificate examination 2015, 2016 and 2017. The sample size comprised 400 SSII students drawn from 20623 students using multi stage sampling technique. The instrument was SS2 CSE scores and SSCE Examination scores. The data of the study are scores obtained by students that took SS2 CSE in 2014, 2015 and 2016 then their corresponding SSCE 2015, 2016 and 2017. The SSCE performance scores are valid since they are standardized test and also the SS2 CSE is standardized since it was set by State Secondary Education Management Board taken by all SS2 students and marked with the same marking scheme by other teacher from another schools. To ensure high rate of return of the instrument, the researcher personally went to secondary Education Management Board for the collection of the scores of students on SS2 Centrally Set Examination and also to the schools randomly selected to get both their SS2 CSE and SSCE results of the year 2015, 2016 and 2017 of the same set of students. Data obtained for the study were analyzed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMCC) for the research questions to establish the relationship between the variables. Finally Analysis of Variance of Simple linear regressions were used to analyze the null hypotheses at 0.05 levels of significance. The findings among others revealed that there is a high extent of prediction between SS2 Centrally Set Examination (CSE) scores and students Achievement in Senior Secondary School Certificate Mathematics Examination scores, that achievement in SS2 CSE scores significantly predict SSCE mathematics Achievement scores of students, that SS2 Centrally Set Examination scores predicted students’ achievement in SSCE Mathematics to a moderate extent based on gender and that achievement in SS2 CSE scores does not significantly predict SSCE mathematics Achievement scores of students based on gender. Based on the findings, it was recommended that there is need for periodic exposure of duty principals to workshops and seminars on the importance of SS2 Centrally Set Examination (CSE) as to enhance Senior Secondary School Certificate Mathematics Examination scores in Abia State.