JAMB builds 10 computer-based testing centers, assures of hitch-free UTME

JAMB

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Tuesday said it had built 10 Computer-based Testing (CBT) centres for smooth conduct of 2014 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The Registrar of the board, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, announced this at a news conference on the board’s preparations for the conduct of the examination in Bwari (FCT).

Ojerinde said JAMB had worked very hard to build one centre in Bwari with a carrying capacity of 250 candidates and also equipped with 20 computer back-ups.

“Our determination to embrace this all-encompassing mode of examination is to place Nigerian education at par with global best practice,” he said.

He said that the Paper Pencil Test (PPT) and Dual Based Testing (DBT) were scheduled to hold on Saturday while the CBT would be written on May 17.
The registrar said that the board had put necessary measures in place to conduct the three tests successfully.

According to him, the board had also resolved to go full-blown on the use of the CBT as means of effectively curbing hitches of result black-outs and other forms of malpractice.

Ojerinde said: “I wish to assure all candidates that the board is very ready to conduct the 2014 UTME and detailed arrangements have been made to ensure a hitch-free examination.”

He stated that the examination would hold in all the towns and centres both within and outside the country.

“The examination will hold simultaneously in 392 towns in Nigeria and seven foreign centres namely Accra in Ghana, Bue in Republic of Cameroun and Cotonou in Benin Republic.

Others are London, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Johannesburg and Abidjan.

“A total of 1,865 centres will be used for the conduct of the PPT examination; 133 centres for DBT and about 153 will be used for CBT,” he said.

He warned candidates against the use of cell phones at examination centres, as it would be considered examination malpractice.

The registrar noted that no incidence of malpractice was recorded during conduct of the previous CBT, adding that candidates had their results four hours after finishing the examination.

He explained that 990,179 candidates applied for the PPT; 25,325 for the DBT while 616,574 applied for the CBT.

“The figure for the 2014 UTME shows that there was a decrease of 129,139 applicants, when compared with last year’s 1,735,892,” he said.

He also said that 174 visually impaired candidates registered for this year’s examination, adding that 196 prison inmates also registered for the 2014 UTME.

Ojerinde reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring access to tertiary institution and their expansion to accommodate more qualified candidates.

“Government has approved the commencement of e-learning degree programme in the country.

“The programme commences on Monday May 19 in four universities namely University of Uyo; Usman Dan-fodio University, Sokoto; University of Maiduguri and National Open University,” he said.

While assuring of JAMB’s readiness to conduct a hitch-free 2014 UTME, the registrar said JAMB had also engaged the services of security agencies to monitor and maintain close surveillance throughout the examination. (NAN)