Kudos, Knocks As JAMB Begins 2023 UTME Nationwide

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has begun conduct of the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for the registered 1.6 million candidates nationwide.

The examination which was expected to run from Tuesday 25th April to Wednesday 3rd May 2023, started with commendation, criticisms and recommendations from both candidate and parents.

Our correspondent who monitored the examination in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Osun and Lagos States observed that the first session was delayed in all Computer Based Test (CBT) centres visited as a result of technical glitches.

However, while majority of centres were able to get back on track with zero hitches afterwards, some CBT centres were not so lucky with a glitch free examination.

At the Global Learning Institute, Central Business District (CBD) Abuja, one of the High Opinion Leaders for the
examination, Mr. Abdulrahman Balogun noted that the examination had proceeded smoothly besides the delay which affected the first session.

He said: ”I have been to some centres this morning from Jikwoyi, Karu to AYA and now at the Global Distance Learning Institute.

At this centre, they are to have three sessions, the first session is to start at 7:00a.m and students were expected to arrive at 6:30am. The second session is to start at 9:00a.m, while the third session starts at 11:00 a.m.

”We had some little delay at this centre, the examination that ought to have started at 7:00 a.m did not start and when asked I was told it was not due to any technical hitch but they were waiting for signal from JAMB headquarters.

”As you can see, the examination is going on unhindered, 200 candidates are expected to sit for the first session but out of this, 183 were accredited, 16 absent and one unverified.”

However, some candidates who were at Adeola International schools CBT centre Kubwa as early as 5:30am, were yet to write their examination as at 2pm when our correspondent visited the centre.

The JAMB supervisor at the centre who declined mentioning her name to our correspondent, explained that the glitches experienced in the morning was from the JAMB server and not from the school, adding that the issue had been resolved and examination was going on with minimal glitches

But she added that 79 candidates were unable to sit for the first session as a result of the challenges encountered, and had been redrafted to a fourth session which was expected to sit for the UTME before the end of the day

She said: “it was a little problematic this morning but some of the candidates are in now and writing their exams tho we are still experiencing little glitches here and there.

“Its already past 2pm but we are hoping that all candidates including the fourth session will be able to take the exams before 4pm today because there is an instruction that no exams should spill to the next day.”

One of the candidates, Ekpenyo Ekengita, expressed disappointment that the delay in the examination was as a result of technical glitches which he said he had hoped JAMB had addressed after the Mock-UTME.

“My exam was scheduled for 12 noon, its past 2pm and I can’t say if I am going to still write today or not but we are still waiting. I must tell JAMB this is not really good. My friend has been here since 5:30am and he is yet to write, he is among those o write in the fourth session. JAMB needs to address this issue.”

A candidate, Queen Itodo who came from Ogbadibo in Benue State, said she had expected to go back home on Wednesday but was no longer sure following her inability to sit for her exams as scheduled.

“When I registered they said the centres in Benue were filled, I was asked to choose from the few remaining so I asked for the closest which is Abuja. I spent 5000 for transport coming to Abuja alone excluding all other expenses. I am
supposed to write for 12pm. I am just tired and weak, am just praying for strength to write and get this behind me.”

Our correspondent observed that the candidates who had no where to stay were loitering all over the street housing the school under the scorching sun, with no where to sit and wait for their turn to write their exams.

Regina Yohnana who said she was tired loitering around not knowing when to write, noted that, “Its really bad people are just standing here under the sun and we are really hungry. We have been here before 6am, JAMB needs to do something about this. It dampens candidates morale.”

A parent, Mrs Lucky Oshakpe who was visibly angry at the whole process, asked JAMB to spare candidates and parents the agony and frustrations they were forced to pass through in writing UTME, by reverting back to its former method of examination which involved paper and pencil.

“If its necessary for them to refund my money let them refund it. We prefer to write with paper, give us paper and pencil we will shade and submit. Its better than what they cannot finish

“During the mock it was the same thing now the system wasn’t put in place even the one of 8:30 am they have not written , i dont even know our fate whether we will be able to write or not .

“My child is suppose to write by 12pm, we are hopeless, we are begging them to help us because it is not a crime to want to go to school so they should please help us so we can leave this sun and go back home instead of wasting our time here.

“Nigeria is not developed in the first place; we are not ripe for this thing we entered if not everything would have been moving smoothly. If we want to do it we should do it properly. If the first session has not written when will the third session write? It means we are going to bring our beds and sleep here.”

The Chairman, Civil Society Group and Mass Media, Prof. Mohammed Salihu Audu who spoke to our correspondent, explained that usually UTME was three sessions but the fourth was added to capture all candidates who were unable to write in their original sessions, as a measure to avoid extension of days scheduled for the examination.

‘I have visited four places and all is well, we just have pocket cases of servers not working and they have been fixed. Some of them who could not take the exams because of the problem in the first session have been shifted to the fourth session.

“There was no fourth session before but it was created to ensure those who cannot take the exams in the first, second and third sessions will be shifted to write in the fourth session so that they won’t be need for them to go another day.

” We only encountered little hitches but JAMB officials came and in little time they were addressed. Oher centres I have been to started their exams on schedule except Adeola which was delayed.

“JAMB’s innovations have been fine and this year we have more innovations because we are living in the age of ICT and every time you look at it you see improvement. I’m sure right now the registrars office is monitoring all the centres so there won’t be any report coming from outside JAMB headquarters since saying certain things.

Commenting on the many candidates loitering around, he noted that “They used to be more CBT centres n kubwa last year but some were delisted due to infractions and technical glitches. if any centre approaches JAMB and makes commitment, JAMB will be willing to come in. No doubt we need more centres.”

Also, in Osun State , many candidates were unable to write their test due to network failure