Candidates can no longer choose two universities

The Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Dibu Ojerinde, said on Thursday in Abuja that Paper Pencil-based Test, PPT, and computer-based test, CBT, would hold on April 12 and May 17 respectively across 2,000 centres.

“We are ready for the examination even now. However, we will give them time until April 12. We are going to do the examination on April 12, for paper, pencil and dual-based test all over the country, but the CBT will start on May 17 and it will continue for 12 days. In any case we are prepared; we have 300 centres for CBT while we have 2,000 centres for PPT,” he said.

He stated that this would be the last time that the Board would conduct PPT and as from 2015, the exams would be computer based.

“We want education to move forward. One of the ways of moving it forward is to eradicate examination malpractice. That is our ambition and Nigeria will join the committee of nations in terms of technological development,” he said.

The registrar explained that the choice of the CBT was to help curb examination malpractices, release results at the same time and encourage candidates to prepare adequately.

“Our experience last year (2013) showed that the CBT candidates passed well than the PPT ones. There was no single examination malpractice, there was no missing result and answer script,” he said.

Candidates to choose one university

The registrar said the reasons for limiting the choice of candidates to one university was based on the outcome of a meeting held sometime at the Nigerian Universities Commission, NUC. He commended the decision as it would help to tackle problems about cost and delay experienced by candidates seeking admission through post JAMB tests.

He said that candidates were limited to choosing from four institutions as against six to achieve target goal.

“We limited them to four institutions; one University, one College of Education, one Polytechnic and one I.E.I. that is Institute for Entrepreneurship, because of the actions of our institutions. They will call both first and second choice candidates for Post UTME, collect money from them and when the second choice candidate even scores higher than the first choice; they will prefer first choice candidates.

“So, we are saying `take a university, let that university finish’. When it finishes we will send the rest of the material to the Polytechnic, instead of waiting for two Universities. Let us make it one choice. It also will reduce cost of candidates going from one institution to another, doing post UTME,” he explained.

He cautioned candidates against registering for both PPT and CBT, saying, “It is not possible for somebody to register for the two, you register for only one.”

The registrar, however, warned that there would be cancellation of registration for anyone caught registering for both exams.

He urged candidates wishing to change their choices of university, to do so on or before registration ends or stand the risk of paying the sum of N1,000 as fine.

Mr. Ojerinde said that the sale of UTME form would end on March 14, adding that sites would close on March 25.

(NAN)