Abstract
This study analyzed the validity and reliability of Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Multiple choice and Essay items in Mathematics. The study adopted a descriptive research design of survey type. The population comprised all Public Senior Secondary School students in Ilorin. Stratified random sampling technique was used to stratify the three local government areas. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 600 SSS 3 students from 6 public senior secondary schools. Purposive sampling was used to select SS 3 students from the selected schools. The instruments used were 2017 WAEC, NECO and NABTEB Mathematics items. The tests were critically examined to ascertain the content validity with respect to syllabus coverage and the levels of thinking of the items. Item analyses were carried out to calculate the content validity levels and reliability levels. The results revealed that the items of WAEC, NECO and NABTEB are in relation to the NERDC Curriculum. The levels of thinking of the items are suitable for the test takers. The results revealed that the items of the examinations were valid with NECO items having the highest content validity level in terms of syllabus coverage. NECO, WAEC and NABTEB multiple choice items were also reliable with reliability levels of 0.89, 0.96, 0.96 respectively. NABTEB essay items had the highest reliability level of 0.76. It was concluded that the tests are reliable and valid. Based on these findings, it was recommended that WAEC and NABTEB should increase the number of multiple choice questions so as to cover a larger scope of their syllabus. The feedback from an analysis made on tests items should be made available to the item writers so that those areas making the items less valid and reliable will be improved upon.