The optional mock examination of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for secondary school leavers will start on Tuesday with about 350,000 candidates participating across Nigeria.

“About 64 computer-based centres across the country will be used for mock examination and 350,000 candidates will be writing the examination,” the registrar of the examination body, Ishaq Oloyede, said.

Mr Oloyede spoke in Abuja on Monday during the commissioning of the N230million Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) of JAMB.

No extension for 2019 UTME

The 2020 UTME and DE registrations exercises started on January 13 and will end on February 17 across the country.

The UTME examination will be held between March 14 and April 4.

Mr Oloyede said over 1.9 million candidates registered for the UTME examination, while ‘200,000 registered for direct entry’.

He said there will be no extension of registration for the examination.

“We have been saying it since the first day of registration that there will not be an extension,” he said.

Commissioning the CAPS, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said it was introduced to ensure due process and discipline in the admission process in Nigeria.

He directed universities, polytechnics and other higher institutions in the country to comply with the system for a smooth admission process.

“The Central Admission Process System of JAMB ensures due process and discipline in the admission process, so every institution must go through the CAPS system, otherwise we will sanction any erring institution,” he said.

The minister said JAMB has become the signature of the fight against corruption of the present administration.

He said the governing board of JAMB has repositioned the examination board and changed the narratives of conduct of examination in Nigeria.