The Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) has successfully tested its Virtual Examination Platform, marking a significant step toward digital transformation in higher education in Sierra Leone.

The pilot phase of the platform involved final-year undergraduate students from the Faculty of Information Systems and Technology, making it the institution’s first-ever online examination exercise.

The Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, was invited to assess the platform as part of efforts by the Ministry to gain firsthand insight into its development and implementation.

Speaking during the assessment, the Minister commended the students for embracing technology despite ongoing challenges and misconceptions surrounding the digitisation of legacy systems.

She also praised the leadership of the University and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of IPAM, Prof. Ezekiel K. Duramany-Lakkoh, for advancing her vision of integrating technology into higher education, noting that online examinations form a key part of ongoing reforms in the sector.

Dr. Wurie further expressed her desire to see the college’s ICT laboratory expanded with additional computers to support future examinations.

Students who participated in the pilot exercise welcomed the initiative, expressing appreciation to the college’s management for introducing the online examination system.

They said the platform would help address concerns such as delays in grade publication and missing results.

The institution also acknowledged the contributions of the Dean of the Faculty of Information Systems, Dr. O. Gbonda, and the Head of the Information Technology Department, Mr. Abass Conteh, for their roles in the development and implementation of the platform.