“Miracle Examination Centres” as hubs for malpractices in Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination in Nigeria: A systematic review

Certificates obtained after taking Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) are priority documents that qualify students to be admitted into tertiary level education and also a minimum requirement contest in some political elections Nigeria. ‘Miracle’ Examination Centres (MECs) rogue/corrupt business outfits position as regular schools/examination centres, but reality deploy deviant means secure unmerited SSCE results/certificates, hence undermine academic integrity country-wide development. In these rogue candidates can acquire desirable grades across subjects taken SSCE, the ‘miracle’ commonly ascribed such centres This paper deploys systematic review of Nigeria-focused exam malpractice literature explore drivers facilitate establishment spread MECs well interventions used eliminate them. Identified met inclusion criteria (94: 48 non-traditional 46 traditional publications) were retrieved reviewed. Proximate involve actions inactions certain actors within immediate reach influence at grassroots, parents, community-based groups, schools (school owners, principals, teachers, students, etc.). Remote examination bodies regulatory institutions allow thrive. We consider remote away from shown our conceptual framework. Therefore, addressing challenge by focusing on proximate drivers, appears feasible short mid-terms, unlike drivers.