….Begins exams March 9
From: Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has justified its decision to introduce new measures to strengthen its systems ahead of the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The Board admitted that it recorded tremendous success in 2017 UTME exercise, but not without challenges and lapses, hence the new measures that would consolidate on the successes and strengthen its credibility and increase public confidence in the system.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, told stakeholders involved in the conduct of the March 9 to 17 exams in Abuja, on Tuesday, that most of the good features of 2017 UTME were retained and in most cases enhanced for improved result.
“But in addition to that, some new elements were replaced with superior ideas and innovations to address the some identified realties,” he said.
The changes, according to him, focused on areas of profile creation using candidate’s unique phone number, creation of more payment platforms and outlets for easy access to candidates among several other superior reforms and innovations.
He highlighted management decision that scanned pictures of candidates would no longer be accepted for registration, insisting on live capture at the accredited Computer Based Test (CBT) centres as part of the registration procedures.
“Furthermore, candidates’ pictures will be embossed on all candidates’ documents generated by JAMB henceforth,” he added.
In response to the challenge of smart cheating, the board said it has secured the support of relevant stakeholders regarding measures that would address various identified technology devices that aid exam malpractices.
Oloyede assured the stakeholders that the high-tech system would increase awareness, identify and profile all possible threat of technology supported examination malpractices.
“It will also develop effective counter measures to detect, deter and prevent use of these devices and methods for cheating in examination,” he said.
The system, he added, was designed to periodically update information about the technology devices and new methods of cheating with such devices and make same available to relevant officials and stakeholders to enable them secure the credibility of the board’s examinations.