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…..main UTME exercise begins April 19
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), on Thursday, conducted mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (mock-UTME) for 260,000 candidates across 793 accredited Computer Based Test (CBT) Centres.
The candidates had indicated interest to participate in the mock-UTME which was optional for candidates during registration process.
JAMB, in 2017, introduced Mock-UTME to provide opportunity for interested candidates to get acquainted with CBT experience, conquer fear and anxiety, and have a little knowledge of the UTME ahead of the main examination.
The exercise often provide opportunity for JAMB to try out innovations and features it intend to use in the main UTME. It’s an opportunity to assess readiness for the main examination, and allow candidates have hands-on experience on the CBT environment, particularly those who are not conversant with the use of computers, and those who might wish to acquaint themselves with the CBT mode of testing prior to the main examination.
JAMB has repeatedly informed candidates that the Mock-UTME score will not be added to the total score of the candidate at the UTME.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who monitored the mock examination in some of the Computer Based Test (CBT) centres in Abuja, expressed delight over the seamless conduct of the exercise nationwide.
He further confirmed that the mock-UTME was designed to test the preparedness for the main UTME which will commence on Friday, 19th April, 2024.
His words: “So far so good for the Mock-UTME exercise. We just conducted recruitment for the Police Service Commission (PSC) throughout the country, that was a mock before today’s mock, and that was in 411 CBT centres across the country, and today we are conducting our own mock-UTME in 793 centres across the country.
“We had about three or four places that had one technical issue or the other, but we are would try to get over that. For those Centres where there are issues, we would have a way of accommodating them even if they go down completely. But everything is going on well and the reports we have, is that we are very okay.”
The JAMB Registrar disclosed that 1.98 million candidates registered for the main 2024 UTME, out of which over 260,000 took part in the mock exam. “Over 260,000 candidates are sitting for the (mock) examination but for the main examination, we have 1.98 million.
“We deliberately did not allow more than that number to register for the Mock-UTME because we don’t want to turn our Mock-UTME to another examination. It was just for us to test-run our systems ahead of the main exercise. The results of these candidates would be released this evening (Thursday) or tomorrow (Friday),” he said.
Prof. Oloyede further confirmed that JAMB was fully prepared for the smooth conduct of the main examination, even as he revealed that new mechanisms would also be deployed to further fortify the examination system/centres.
Meanwhile, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Consultant at JAMB, Damilola Bamiro, said the examination body was fully in touch with all the CBT centres and are monitoring the exercise through the JAMB’s Situation Room which allows for real time interaction between the centres and JAMB, to speedily resolve any issue during the examination.
