Development of a Web-Based Examination Scheduling System for ESUT Faculty of Engineering

Examination scheduling in Nigerian universities is often characterized by conflicts, last-minute changes, and administrative inefficiencies. This study develops a web-based examination scheduling system designed specifically for the Faculty of Engineering at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT). The system automates the allocation of examination venues, invigilators, and time slots while resolving conflicts arising from shared courses across multiple departments. The development methodology follows the Agile Software Development Life Cycle, incorporating iterative prototyping and user testing with academic staff and students. The backend was built using PHP and MySQL, while the frontend was designed using HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. Constraint satisfaction algorithms were implemented to handle clash detection among courses with overlapping student populations. System testing was conducted using both unit and integration testing frameworks. Results indicate that the system reduced scheduling conflicts by 91 percent compared to manual methods and cut administrative preparation time by an estimated 60 percent. User acceptance testing recorded an overall satisfaction score of 4.3 out of 5 among staff respondents. The study concludes that automated scheduling solutions offer significant operational advantages for engineering faculties managing complex timetabling requirements. Recommendations include integration with the university's central student information system and expansion to cover other faculties.