JAMB: UTME begins nationwide with some hitches

THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Thursday commenced the conduct of the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination with hitches in some of the Computer Based Test (CBT) centres where the examinations were held.

A total of 1,881,488 candidates registered to sit for the examination with the hope of getting admission into various tertiary education institutions in the country.

Nigerian Tribune observed in some of the examination centres monitored in Abuja, there was a delay in starting the examination while there were also network glitches in some of the CBT centres.

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At Baptist ICT Centre in Karu local government of Nasarawa State, one of the accredited CBT centre, examination could not start at 8.am even though candidates had thronged the venue as early 6.am.

JAMB official supervising the conduct of the examination at the centre, said the examination commenced at about 8.15, adding that there were also network issues that some technicians were seen trying to put them in order.

The conduct of the examination was generally peaceful, orderly and smooth, with the presence of Nigeria Security and Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

All candidates were subjected to biometric screening before allowed into the examination hall. Their biometrics were also taken before leaving the examination hall as a way of ensuring that there no form of impersonation.

Registrar of JAMB, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, had warned the JAMB officials that no candidate with biometric challenge should be allowed into the examination.

 Nigerian Tribune, also observed at Government Secondary Schoo Karu, that the examination hall was small to accommodate the 200 candidates taken the examination at a time, as such the hall was stuffy and candidates crammed together without space.

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A SERVICOM observer, who did not want her name in print, urged JAMB to look into this issue of space in future examinations not only to discourage examination malpractice but for the health of the children.

The JAMB supervisor confirmed that there were network hitches but that about five technical officers were on hand to ensure that the examination was unduly distorted.

Examinations were held in three sessions in all the centres visited. Some candidates, however, commended JAMB for the orderly conduct of the examination.

One of the candidates, Mercy Oboh who sat for the examination at GSS Karu, said the computer-based test was seamless, operating the system was not difficult as people were made to believe.