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Tag: CBT centres

  • JAMB: We have de-registered 14 CBT centres

    Registrar Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, on Monday said the board has de-listed 14 Computer Based Test centres out of the 712 accredited for the conduct of unified tertiary examination because they committed infractions during the conduct of its mock examination on Monday.

    Some of the infractions cited by the board included deceit and borrowing computer systems without informing the board.

    The registrar said that the 698 centres left in operation were ready for the conduct of the UTME scheduled to begin on April 11.

    Prof. Oloyede disclosed this during the monitoring of this year’s mock examination with the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, in some CBT centres in Abuja.

    He said: “So far, so good; all the centres are doing very well. Of the 712, we have had to dis-accredit 14 this morning for one infraction or the other

    “Some had technical problems and some due to deceit whereby some of them will go and borrow some computers, thinking that we will not know.

    “Those centres we discovered went ahead to borrow computer systems for the exams have been dis-accredited.

    “Now, we have about 698 centres left in the operation, but we have distributed the students across board.”

    Oloyede, also revealed that two JAMB officials were attacked during the mock exercise which took place on Monday in some select CBT centres nationwide.

    The registrar said the attack took place at a centre in the Lagos State Polytechnic.

    He said the two officials would also have been set ablaze but for the quick intervention of the security agencies which saved them from the attempted jungle justice.

    He said the reason for the dastardly attack was yet to be ascertained, even as the two officials have been taken to the hospital after they were rescued.

    The registrar said the board has launched an investigation to ascertain the cause of the attempted murder of its officials on legitimate duty.

    The registrar said: “The very first sad thing that we noticed was that two of our staff were almost murdered in Lagos.

    “There was an attempt on their lives at the Lagos State Polytechnic. For whatever reason, they were wet with petrol and they were to be set ablaze.

    “We have sent a rescue team and they took them to the hospital. We are still looking into what happened, but we have evacuated our staff from the place.

    “We hope that whoever attempted that, the law enforcement agencies will not allow such an assault on innocent officials of government who went about their normal business.”

    The minister, at the end of the monitoring, expressed confidence in the successful conduct of the examination on April 11.

    He appealed to centres bent on perpetrating infractions to desist from such act.

    The minister said: “Everything is going on fine. The assessment of the exam is that everything is in order and from the report I am receiving from all over the country, everything is fine.

    “I will advise those centres perpetrating some kind of malpractices to stop and adhere to whatever guidelines they have been given by JAMB; otherwise, the same fate will befall them.

    “From what I have seen today, JAMB is ready for the examinations.”

    157,000 candidates who indicated interest for the mock examination at the point of registration, sat for the preparatory examination nationwide.

  • JAMB welcomes application for CBT centres in Katsina

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said it will welcome applications from qualified business centres in Katsina State willing to establish Computer Based Test (CBT) centres that could be used for the conduct of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME).

    State Coordinator Isyaku Mohammed Kankia, in an interview, said the present number of seven CBT centres is inadequate and cannot cater for the over 25,000 applicants expected to write the exams each year.

    He said: “The seven CBT centres presently located in Daura (2); Funtua, Malumfashi and Kusada (one each) and Dutsin-Ma (2) – are inadequate, so we invite more qualified applicants for CBT centres to come forward.”

    Kankia also admonished applicants for the UTME exams to embrace the various innovations introduced by the body, especially during registration and processing of applications, to ensure a hitch-free admission.

  • Minister inspects CBT centres ahead 2018 UTME

    Minister inspects CBT centres ahead 2018 UTME

    The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu has begun the inspection of Computer Based Test ( CBT ) centres to ascertain its readiness for the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

    Adamu, while inspecting the Digital Bridge and the Global Distance Learning centres in Abuja on Friday, told newsmen that he was satisfied with the level of preparedness of the centres.

    He called on students to get acquainted with the operations regarding computer usage as this would help them in the examinations.

    According to him, there will be no need for guide during the examination if students are computer literate and this would hasten the speed of examinations.

    “ We are very happy. I have just been to two centres today and I am just very happy with what I am seeing.

    “ I am satisfied just as the students are satisfied. But my message to the students is that they should come and use the facilities here and I hope they are computer literate.

    “ If they are, they probably do not need the help of the people they will find there,’’ he said.

    Similarly, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said he was glad the minister was out to monitor the level of readiness of some of the centres ahead of the examinations.

    Read Also: JAMB sells 1.6m 2018 UTME forms

    Oloyede said that the board was complying on the instruction of the ministry to get the centres ready for the examinations.

    “ The magic behind this is that the minister has given us a mandate and asked us to do the job and we are doing it the way he wanted.’’

    JAMB has announced that the 2018 UTME will take place in March.

    However, the registrar during a meeting with stakeholders recently in Abuja announced that the examination would be preceded with mock examination.

    JAMB, however, had extended registration till midnight, Tuesday, Feb. 6 to enable candidates have ample time to register.

  • JAMB goes tough on ‘fraudulent’ CBT centres

    JAMB goes tough on ‘fraudulent’ CBT centres

    THE Joint Administration and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has warned owners of accredited Computer-Based Centres nationwide that it will no longer be “business as usual”.

    The board said it would further step up the battle against dishonest CBT owners, who connive with other unscrupulous elements to perpetrate examination crimes.

    JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, who addressed owners of CBT centres at the Yaba College of Technology multipurpose hall yesterday, lamented that the centres constituted 80 per cent of criticism the board received from the public in the last JAMB.

    Oloyede said: “We have taken some lessons from last year’s  experience and therefore introduced some measures that will further add to the integrity of the registration process and the conduct of the examination.

    “Four example, we discovered last year and this year that some electronic devices such as pens, and wristwatches, were used to perpetrate exam malpractices. We are also going to introduce some detective devices to ensure that those who plan to cheat inside the examination halls are frustrated.”

    Oloyede said during the 2016 and 2017 exercises, the board discovered a lot of infractions from centre owners ranging from registering in a particular state but moving out of the state to conduct the examinations elsewhere and duplicating candidates’ registration number.

    Others, the JAMB Registrar said, compelled candidates to thumbprint eight instead of the mandatory 10 fingers and thereafter allowing impersonators to thumbprint the remaining two fingers, among others.

    With improved technology, Oloyede was optimistic the board would eradicate most of the atrocities of the past.

    “We will not rest ourselves. As they are planning, we are also planning not to allow them to play any old tricks. We know they will come up with new tricks but we will come up with new anti-tricks,” he said.

    Oloyede said the 71 CBT centres found to be culpable during the last exercise were either suspended or banned outright, adding that the board also went further by prosecuting some.

    “Those that were suspended might still be pardoned; but for those that have been banned, we already have their records, which we have sent to the Public Affairs Commission. This action we took so as to discourage them from having anything to do with us as a body again.

    “We know some of them might register another company and again apply for a centre from JAMB. We are dealing with them at individual level,” Oloyede said.

    The Professor of Islamic Studies noted that the board would install electric jammers as well as lens detectors into each centre to demobilise gadgets such as handsets, wristwatches, chips, among others either within or around the premises of the examination centre.

    He said registration for examination will begin by the end of this month, urging prospective candidates to visit the board’s website, download its apps, syllabus and brochures to minimise errors they often commit during registration.

    For accountability, Oloyede said all transactions from the point of purchase up to registration is cashless and seamless to guard against corruption and some of the encumbrances experienced by candidates before they eventually register.

    He added the board has already registered 617 centres nationwide, noting that the board is still considering about 50 pending applications.

    The registrar said the proposed mega centre to be undertaken by the board to curtail exam malpractices would involve due process, urging Nigerian to exercise a little more patience.

  • UTME: JAMB withholds 300 results over malpractices

    UTME: JAMB withholds 300 results over malpractices

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has so far withheld the results of 300 candidates who wrote the unified tertiary matriculation examination (UTME), its Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede has said.

    Oloyede said this on Thursday when he featured on Sunrise Daily, a weekly programme on Channels Television in Abuja.

    He also said the agency has released the results of 15, 000 candidates, adding that the board has released the results of candidates where it had no problem.

    According to him, the board would release results of candidates after it had ensured that they did not participate in malpractices.

    Oloyede also said the board would not hesitate to sanction anybody found wanting no matter how highly placed the person is.

    “For instance this  morning (Thursday) we have released about 15, 000 results but among those who sat in that centre we have real reasons, concrete evidence to say about 300 of them the results will not be release because they knew they were not in the hall where the examination took place.

    “Those who do not receive are qualified not to receive. In all the places where there are no problem we have released the results within 24 hours. But those who have not they may not be culpable but we are investigating.

    “Where we have reasons to doubt anything, where we have report of anything that was not acceptable to us we have withheld the results and we keep on releasing them as we clear them.

    “We are comparing those who sat for the examination, how long they sat in the hall and when some of them will take excuse that they are going to the toilet only to go to what they call VIP, all these have been able to track and I want to say that we will not hesitate to sanction anybody no matter how highly placed,” he said.

    Oloyede also said the board would not impose any candidate on any institutions in the country.

    According to him, the board will not take any candidate that has not been recommended by the institution.

    “The final say for admission rest squarely with the institutions. Their senates and academic boards are empowered to determine the students. What JAMB does is and what it should continue to do is to moderate, to ensure equity, to ensure that nobody is unfairly treated.

    “JAMB should not and will not take any student that has not been recommended by the institution. JAMB was not established to take up the responsibility or to usurp the power of the senate. What JAMB should do is to moderate, take recommendation and ask questions.

    “JAMB will give the admission letter but the process of giving the letter must be democratic enough, must not encroach on the powers of the senate and the academic boards of the various institutions.

    “We will advise our colleagues who are manning these institutions to be fair and to play according to the rule but we will not impose anything on the institutions,” he said.

    He also said that fraudsters who meet the requirements of the organization are establishing computer based test centers just to defraud candidates.

    “We now have situation that crooks, people who have no standards are now establishing CBT centres and they are meeting our requirements only to misuse the opportunity.

    “We have seen so many of such that we want to call on credible Nigerians, credible institutions, and government agencies. If we can partner with some federal government or state or public institutions to expand their facilities I will be more comfortable.

    “We have seen supposedly highly placed individuals who own CBT centres and are using the CBT centres to perpetrate examination malpractices,” he added.

     

  • JAMB assures of smooth conduct of UTME

    JAMB assures of smooth conduct of UTME

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB)  has assured of smooth conduct of the 2017 unified tertiary matriculation examination.
    The Deputy Director, Centre Inspection and Validation, Examination Malpractice, Quality Assurance Department, JAMB Headquarters, Munirat Lawal, gave the assurance during the conduct of the boards mock examination for candidates in Kaduna.
    Over 50 candidates wrote the mock exam at the Kaduna state university Information and Communication Technology centre and other computer based test centres in the state.
    The mock exam was conducted in 633 CBT centres across the country.
    She said all the technical issues relating to the conduct of the examination had been fully resolved by the agency.
    “We have fully resolved all the technical issues. That was why they are able to write the mock examination.
    “We have over 50 candidates sitting for this mock examination in this centre. Actually the centre was slatted for 250 candidates but maybe because it is mock. If it were to be real exam I know they will turn up more than what they did today.
    “We have about 50 and everything went on smoothly. We have two sections and in section we have 250. Assuming they turned up we would have had 500 candidates,” she said.
    A candidate who participated in the mock exam, Zainab Ibrahim, told reporters that she had no issue using the computer for the test.
    She commended the board for the smooth conduct of the mock exam.
    “it was very easy because the questions and arrangement are straightforward. I am just waiting for the real examination in May,” she said.
  • UTME: JAMB seeks deployment of troops in CBT centres

    UTME: JAMB seeks deployment of troops in CBT centres

    THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has sought the assistance of the Army to secure its computer-based tests (CBT) centres ahead of the unified tertiary matriculation examination (UTME).

    JAMB Registrar/Chief Executive Prof. Is-haq Oloyede made the request at a meeting with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, in Abuja.

    The agency’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, in a statement yesterday in Abuja, said the registrar solicited the cooperation of the Army in the examination.

    Oloyede, who hailed the Army for uniting the country, particularly in defeating insurgents as well as restoring peace to turbulent areas, outlined his mission to the Defence Headquarters.

    “We are here to thank you for the wonderful job you have been doing. All Nigerians are happy with you for the wonderful feat you have recorded in the discharge of your duties, and your quest for an indivisible and united country,” he said.

    He said there was need to secure the venues of the UTME for JAMB to conduct a hitch-free exam for candidates desirous of qualitative education to tertiary institutions.

    “This need became imperative to seek for security intervention from the Army, particularly in turbulent areas,” he said.

    The registrar said over 678 centres across the country as against the 650 CBT centres recorded last year would be put to use with an estimated 1.5 million candidates for the examination, adding that 1.237 million candidates had submitted their applications.

    Oloyede told Buratai that the agency was collaborating with Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) to fly candidates in riverine areas to their CBT centres.

    He urged the COAS to intervene as the NLNG intervention was not enough.

    The JAMB registrar, while listing some security prone areas such as Northeast, Southsouth, among others, noted that the process of seeking admission through the conduct of examination should not be truncated.

    He added that the sight of security presence during the examination will give the candidates a high-level of satisfaction and confidence.

    Oloyede told the COAS that this year the board was capturing 10 fingers of candidates to forestall any incidence of multiple registrations as noticed with previous year’s registration.

    He said the board also insisted on profile creation and other processes to strengthen the education data and ensure candidates did not go through rough times after graduating from tertiary institutions.

    Buratai, described the visit as unique and symbolic, stating that the military will ensure there is peace and harmony in the country.

    The COAS said as part of its constitutional responsibility, the Army would continue to uphold and make sure that the task given to it was accomplished.

    He said some of the flash-points pointed out by the registrar were safe and habitable, adding that normalcy had returned to the Northeast.

    The Army chief promised to deploy troops to the areas mentioned by Prof. Oloyede for surveillance and protection during the period stated for the examination.

    He directed the Chief of Training and Operations to liaise with officers and men on ground to strengthen security in the centres and officials, particularly those in turbulent states.

    Buratai noted that JAMB examination is a national assignment and as such, the Military High Command will not allow any candidate’s dream and desire for tertiary education to be truncated because of insecurity.

  • JAMB to begin sale of 2017 UTME form

    JAMB to begin sale of 2017 UTME form

    … Expects 1.7m candidates to apply – Registrar, Prof. Oloyede

    The Registrar, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Tuesday hinted that the body would soon commence the sale of the application form for the 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination(UTME).
    .
    Oloyede said an estimated 1.7 million candidates are expected register and sit for the Computer Based Test (CBT) across the country, adding that they are also increasing the capacity of the CBT centres to maximise their effectiveness to examine more candidates within a given date.

    The Chief Executive Officer of JAMB made this known at the Green Legacy, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, while fielding questions from journalists shortly after a meeting of the JAMB officials and other stakeholders regarding the new Information Technology being introduced into the system to make it less stressful to candidates.

    According to him, the body is working with the possibility of conducting a “mock examination” not only to test its preparedness with the new technology, but also to examine some people that are desirous of knowing their competence with the JAMB examination.

    He noted that stakeholders meeting was predicated on the need for people to make inputs into the new ICT facilities and critique it before putting them into use.

    Oloyede said Nigeria is ripe for an ICT – driven examinations, disclosing that the innovation would definitely unsettle some people, who hitherto were short-changing JAMB through “fraud” and in some cases, duplication of PIN.

    “What we are doing appears to be suitable to majority of our stakeholders. It is a surprise to us that we are apprehensive of what we wanted to do that maybe we are going to create problem. We are more confident to go along with the sale of the form for 2017 UTME examination.

    “I believed that Nigeria is ripe for this. Nigeria is more advanced than some of these countries. At least, we have three or four countries that are observing our examination and they want to  go the way of the conduct of the examination.

    “We are expecting 1.7 million candidates and we want to make sure we satisfy these candidates within a week or there about. That is why we are increasing the capacity of the Computer Based Test centres to be able to examine more candidates within a given date

    “If we are talking about 1.5 million candidates, it means that in a given day about 60,000 or 70,000 candidates will take the examination.

    “We have invited stakeholders to critique the process because we don’t want to go in the wrong direction. We are creating some ICT facilities and we want our stakeholders, prospective candidates, respected scholars, institutions, civil societies to come together and critique what we are doing, so that we can be sure, before we go too far in a wrong direction.

    “This is with a view of harvesting good ideas that could improve what we are doing. We thought we are coming here to get dismantled, all we have put together, but what we are having are cheers that we can do it this way, or amend it that way.

    “I must be frank with you, I cannot promise hitch free examination because we are testing certain things. We are changing certain things. We want to question the status quo and of course, we expect a fight back by interest that will be trampled upon.

    “We are going to be as sincere as possible in the direction we are going. We are going to be as flexible as humanly possible. We are not promising hitch free examination.

    “We envisaged that there will be hitches here and there, but they will not be insurmountable. Rather than promising the nation hitch free examination, we will be  promising a direction we will all be pleased with.

    “Initially there might be hiccups and of course one would not have been appointed if it is routine. I believe that I have been given a very difficult job and that is why I’m promising that it will be all smooth,” Oloyede said.

  • JAMB increases CBT centres for 2014/2015 exams

    JAMB increases CBT centres for 2014/2015 exams

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it has designated 256 centres for the 2014/2015 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) Computer Based Test (CBT) across the country.

    Mr Fabian Benjamin, the board’s head of Public Relations, spoke in a telephone interview with the the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.

    Benjamin said the centres were increased from 56 in 2012/2013 to 256 for the forthcoming examination.

    He said the increase was made to accommodate the large number of candidates applying for the CBT.

    “Application form is out; preparation for the technical aspect is in top gear and we are always ready.

    “Centres that had hitches during the 2012/2013 examination will be corrected, while some may not be used.

    “What we already have on ground is close to perfection,” he said.

    The board, in an earlier statement, had announced the commencement of the sale of the application forms for the 2014/2015 academic session UTME.

    It advised qualified candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria that online registration would be on until March 14, 2014, while the website would be closed on March 25.