UTME 2022: What candidates should know

Come tomorrow, May 6, the 2022 edition of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will commence across the 36 states and the federal capital territory (FCT) in Nigeria.

UTME is a computer-based test that serves as an entrance examination for secondary school leavers seeking admission into Nigerian public tertiary institutions.

Every year, over 1.5 million candidates sit the examination. This year, JAMB said 1,837,011 candidates registered for the examination.

Ahead of the examination, JAMB said it has made arrangements for successful conduct across the 750 centres nationwide.

The examination body has, however, listed the dos and don’ts for the candidates, and warned that failure to adhere strictly to its instructions will not be condoned.

“Candidates are also to note that no examination would be rescheduled for whatever reason,” JAMB said.

Reprint Slip

JAMB has announced that the examination will be held between Friday, May 6, and Saturday, 14. It therefore advised candidates to reprint their slips from April 30.

It said the details of the centre and dates for each of the candidates is to enable the candidates to know their allocated examination centres, session, time and dates of examinations.

JAMB said the reprinting of slip can be done anywhere on a computer with an internet connection and a printer. “And candidates are to go to the examination centre with at least a copy of the slip.”

“Know your centre”

To avoid lateness to their centres, JAMB advised that candidates who are not familiar with their examination centres should visit the venue ahead of their dates of the examination so as to find it easy to locate on the date of their examination.

It is also advised that candidates should be at their examination venue before the time of their examination.

JAMB said: “…all candidates are advised to prepare ahead and stay close to their examination venues. If possible, they should pay a prior visit to their centres before the date of the examination.”

Prohibited items

Meanwhile, the examination board has also reiterated that some items, particularly electronic gadgets are barred from examination halls or premises.

The step, the examination body said, is aimed at curbing malpractices.

JAMB listed the prohibited items to include: mobile phones, watches, pens, calculators or similar electronic devices, USB, compact discs (CDs), hard disks and other similar storage devices.

READ ALSO: 2022 UTME: JAMB directs candidates to begin printing notification slips

Other prohibited items, according to the examination body includes, books or any reading or writing materials, cameras, recorders, microphones, ear pieces, ink or pen readers, smart lens, smart jewellery, smart buttons, bluetooth devices, key holders, ATM cards, erasers, handkerchiefs, face towels and money.

It added that eyeglasses are also not expected to be taken to the centres except medicated. And the medicated glasses, JAMB insisted, must be verified by the examination officials.

JAMB noted that the said items have aided candidates in perpetrating examination malpractice in the past. “Therefore, the ban on these items is to protect the sanctity of the Board’s examination especially from the antics of some candidates and their collaborators.”

Biometric verification

JAMB has said it would not allow any other means of verification of candidates apart from the biometric data capturing, which it noted has been improved for easy access.

The Board said every candidate must be subjected to the verification and that officials would not waste time on candidates whose verification could not be authenticated after some attempts.

According to the examination body, this serves as the only attendance register for candidates who partake in the exams.

In its manual published for officials, JAMB advised the officials to ask the candidates whose capturing are unsuccessful to return home without delay.