Maximum Likelihood Approach for Reliability Estimation of the Confidence Interval in 2022 NECO BECE Social Studies Multiple Choice Test Item in Benin Metropolis of Edo State

The study examined the reliability index in 2022 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) Social Studies multiple choice test items conducted by National Examination Council (NECO) using Maximum Likelihood Estimate (MLE). Specifically, the study also examined the reliability index with respect to school location, sex of students and school ownership. To guide the study, four research question were raised and three hypotheses were formulated. Survey Research design was adopted in carrying out this research. The population comprised all 164,466 Junior Secondary School three (JSS 3) Social Studies students from 247 public and private schools in Benin Metropolis, Edo State. The sample for the study was 320 students drawn from 16 junior secondary school students in public and private schools. The proportionate stratified and the simple random sampling techniques were used to select the schools and the students from each of the three Local government areas of Benin Metropolis. The instrument for data collection was the 2022 BECE Social Studies multiple choice item examination by NECO. The instrument is a standardized test that has been content validated by the examination body (NECO). The reliability of the items was re-established using Kuder-Richardson 20 to obtain a reliability coefficient of 0.71, indicating a high reliability estimate of the instrument. Data collected for the study were analysed using Maximum Likelihood of the confidence interval with Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The findings of the study revealed that the 2022 Social Studies multiple choice test items of Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) by National Examination Council (NECO) is reliable. The study also revealed no significant difference by school location, sex of students and school ownership in the reliability index of the test items using the Maximum Likelihood Estimation Method of the confidence interval. Based on the findings, it was recommended, that examination bodies involved in BECE can use either of school location, sex of students, school ownership within the geographical population of the examination to determine the reliability index of their test items.