Examination Verification System Using Biometric

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Formal examination can rightly be defined as the assessment of a person‘s
Performance, when confronted with a series of questions, problems, or tasks set
him, in order to ascertain the amount of knowledge that he has acquired, the extent
to which he is able to utilize it, or the quality and effectiveness of the skills he has
developed.
The Jesuits introduced written examination into their schools in the 16th century.
The Definitive Ratio Argue Institution Studiorum of 1599, which was not revised
until 1932, contains a code of rules for the conduct of school examinations, which
were held annually, and determined whether or not children were promoted to a
higher class. During the 19th century, formal written examinations became regular
in universities, schools, and other educational institutions. Examinations were also
increasingly employed for the selection of recruits to the civil service, and the
professions, and to posts in industry and commence. Over the ages, standardized
testing has been the most common methodology, yet the validity and credibility of
the expanded range of contemporary assessment techniques have been called into
question.
There are two types of systems that help automatically establish the identity of a
person:
1) Authentication (verification) systems and
2) Identification systems. In a verification system, a person desired to be identified
submits an identity claim to the system, usually via a magnetic stripe card, login
name, smart card, etc., and the system either rejects or accepts the submitted claim
of identity (Am I who I claim I am?). In an identification system, the system
establishes a subject‘s identity (or fails if the subject is not enrolled in the system
data base) without the subject‘s having to claim an identity (Who am I?). The topic
of this paper is channel towards the development of examination impersonation
elimination system and this system would strictly do with the unique feature of
identification by means of finger print. A verification system based on fingerprints,
and the terms verification, authentication, and identification are used in a loose
sense and synonymously.
Accurate automatic personal identification is becoming more and more important
to the operation of our increasingly electronically interconnected information
society. Traditional automatic personal identification technologies to verify the
identity of a person, which use ―Something that you know,‖ such as a personal
identification number (PIN), or ―something that you have,‖ such as an
identification (ID) card, key, etc., are no longer considered reliable enough to
satisfy the security requirements of electronic transactions or school management
system. All of these techniques suffer from a common problem of inability to
differentiate between an authorized person and an impostor who fraudulently
acquires the access privilege of the authorized person.
Biometrics is a technology that (uniquely) identifies a person based on his
physiological or behavioral characteristics. It relies on ―something that you are‖ to
make personal identification and therefore can inherently differentiate between an
authorized person and a fraudulent imposter. Although biometrics cannot be used
to establish an absolute ―yes/no‖ personal identification like some of the traditional
technologies, it can be used to achieve a ―positive identification‖ with a very high
level of confidence, such as an error rate of 0.001%. Fingerprint technology using
biometrics employ certain advantage of eradicating the problem of examination
impersonation by allowing the measure of what you are to perform the security
activities of student participation in the exams.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
An examination board is an organization that sets examinations and is responsible
for marking them and distributing results. Examination boards have the power to
award qualifications, such as SAT scores, to students. Most exam boards are
running as non-profit organizations.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is a not-for-profit examination
board formed out of the concern for education in Africa. Established in 1952, the
council has contributed to education in Anglophonic countries of West Africa
(Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and the Gambia), with the number of
examinations they have coordinated, and certificates they have issued. They also
formed an endowment fund, to contribute to the education in West Africa, through
lectures, and aid to those who cannot afford education.
Dr. Adeyegbe, HNO of WAEC Nigeria (2004) said “the council has developed a
team of well-trained and highly motivated staff, and has administered
Examinations that are valid and relevant to the educational aspirations of member
countries”. In a year, over three million candidates registered for the exams
coordinated by WAEC. The council also helps other examination bodies (both
local and international) in coordinating Examinations.
The University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, University of
London School Examinations Matriculation Council and West African
Departments of Education met in 1948, concerning education in West Africa. The
meeting was called to discuss the future policy of education in West Africa. At the
meeting, they appointed Dr. George Barker Jeffery (Director of the University Of
London Institute Of Education) to visit some West African countries, so as to see
the general education level and requirements in West Africa. At the end of Jeffery’s
three month visit (December 1949- March 1950) to Ghana, the Gambia, Sierra
Leone, and Nigeria, he tendered a report (since known as Jeffery report) strongly
supporting the need for a West African Examination Council, and making detailed
recommendations on the composition and duties of the Council. Following this
report, the groups met with the governments of these countries, and they agreed on
establishing a West African Examination council, fully adopting Jeffery’s
recommendations.
The legislative assemblies of Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and the Gambia passed
an ordinance (West African Examinations Council Ordinance NO. 40) approving
the West African Examination Council in Dec 1951. The Ordinance agreed to the
coordination of exams, and issuing of certificates to students in individual
countries by the West African Examination Council. Liberia later issued their
ordinance in 1974, at the annual meeting held in Lagos, Nigeria. After the success
of forming an examination council, the council called a first meeting in Accra,
Ghana on March 1953. In the meeting, the registrar briefed everybody about the
progress of the council. In that same meeting, five committees were formed to
assist the council. These committees are: Administrative and Finance Committee,
School Examinations Committee, Public Service Examinations Committee, The
Professional, Technical and Commercial Examinations Committee, and the Local
Committee. The total number of people present for this meeting was 26.
ORGANIZATIONAL DIAGRAM
CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL
DIRECTOR OF BOARD
CHAIRMAN OF
EDUCATIONAL SHCEME
CHAIRMAN OF
EDUCATIONAL SCHEDULLING
CHAIRMAN OF EXAMS RECORD
INVIGILATORS DATABASE
ADMINISTRATOR

1.2 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The objective of this study is as follows
To create a system that is capable of tracking impersonators in the
examination system using the methodology of finger print biometrics.
To reduce rate of corruption in the educational sector and increase the rate of
self confidence on students.
To demonstrate the possibility of computer technology in the satisfaction of
human needs and also enforce strict security measures that ensure unregistered
students do not write exams for other registered students.

1.3 JUSTIFICATION
The justification for the system is as follows
To add more security measures to the examination processes using finger print
biometrics.
To eliminate the possibility of an imposter appearing in an exam.

1.4 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The problems which are encountered in the previous system are
Student impersonation
In secured authentication of students
Manual verification of student

1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This system would be implemented using the vb.net and Microsoft access database
and also all necessary method of data collection within my reach to ensure the
system meet up to acceptable standard has been put into consideration. Also tables‘
graphs for easily analysis and demonstration of development trend of achievement
would also be shown. Also this work would be carried out under close supervision
for adequate guidance and interpretation of the work as it unfolds.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCES OF STUDY
With the increasing rate of exam malpractices in the educational sectors the school
management deserve to inculcate a tight security means to ensure that these
activities of exam impersonators stop. The activities of these exam impersonators
have seen the educational sector suffer some serious form corruption ranging from
registered student, to examination supervisor. So it best for the educational body to
strategies some certain security means to stop this aspect of corruption in the
educational sector.
The system uses a finger prints biometrics this would help ensure that only
registered student during registration with their finger prints are allowed into the
examination hall.
The system would contribute in the area of stopping any activity of corruption
in the educational sector among students, and student to teachers.
Hard work would be encouraged as every registered student knows he/she is
going to write the exam by him or herself.
The impersonation which has eating the educational system there by
encouraging laziness among students would be eliminated and standard of
student educational performance would be increased.
DEFINITION OF TERMS/VARIABLES USED
WAEC: A body responsible for conducting and issuing certificate to secondary
school graduating student among West Africa.
DATABASE: A collection of related information which can be stored and
retrieved.
EXAMINATION: A measure for the test of knowledge.
MALPRACTICES: This refers to negligence or misconduct
IMPERSONATION: General process of acting on behalf of a client.
IMPERSONATOR: A performed skilled at copying the manner or expression of
another mime.
FINGER PRINT: An impression on a surface of the curves formed by the ridges
on a finger tip.
BIOMETRICS: Is the use of measurable, biological characteristics such as
fingerprints, or iris patterns to identify a person to an electronic system.
ELIMINATION: To get rid of
DESIGN: Is a creative activity whose aim is to establish the multi faceted qualities
of objects processes, service and their systems in whole life cycles.
SECURITY ACCESS: Permission granted to users base on their identification.
AUTHENTI CATION: The process of identifying someone base on users name
or password in security system
AUTHORIZATION: Act of granting someone the permission to do or take
something.