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Tag: UTME

  • UTME: Police arrest two over alleged illegal registration in Lagos

    UTME: Police arrest two over alleged illegal registration in Lagos

    The Police have arrested two men in Lagos for allegedly engaging in an illegal registration of candidates for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

    The Lagos State Coordinator of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Mr Sunday Aladegbaye, confirmed the arrest on Sunday in Lagos.

    “Two men and co-owners of a computer-based test centre, Vision Computer Academy, were on Saturday night arrested for allegedly engaging in the illegal registration of candidates for the 2018 UTME.

    “The Academy is located at No. 1, Ganiyu Adeboyejo Close, Eputu London, Eputu Bus Stop, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos.

    “The arrest, carried out by men of the Nigerian Police from Adeniji Adele Police Station, Lagos Island, was made possible after a tip-off from members of the public.

    “We were informed that the Lagos Island Primary School, Sura was allegedly being used for the illegal registration exercise.

    “These suspects, whose CBT centre was legally accredited for the exercise, had moved a router and computer systems to an illegal location to engage in fraudulent practices and extortion of candidates,’’ Aladegbaye told NAN.

    According to him, the board’s preparations for the 2018 UTME is in top gear.

    He warned that the examination body was determined to fish out bad eggs that may try to frustrate its efforts at standardising the conduct of examination and admission processes in Nigeria.

    NAN reports that the board had postponed 2018 UTME mock earlier scheduled for between Jan. 22 and Jan. 24, to the first week of February.

    It had cited the ongoing strike by the non-teaching labour unions of universities as being responsible for the postponement.

    The board explained that many of the accredited centres were located in the institutions where the strike is taking place nationwide.

     

  • JAMB fixes March 9 – 17 for 2018 UTME examination

    JAMB fixes March 9 – 17 for 2018 UTME examination

    …fixes Feb 6 as deadline for registration

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has fixed February 6, as deadline for the sale of registration form for this year’s unified tertiary matriculation examination (UTME).

    JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede spoke at a meeting on strategic planning, supervision and evaluation of the conduct of 2018 unified tertiary matriculation examination (UTME) in Abuja yesterday.

    He said only 283,319 candidates had registered for the examination.

    The board also fixed March 9 to17 for the conduct of the UTME in 620 computer based test centres across the country.

    The registrar said: “Because of the criticisms that trailed the sale of entry form for a month in the past years, the board has decided to earmark two months so that every willing candidate will be able to purchase, fill and submit the forms.

    “We opened entry from December 6, 2017 to February 6, 2018, but one month later, only less than a quarter of the two million candidates expected for the examination this year have registered.”

    Prof. Oloyede said its mock examination slated for January 22 would now hold in first week of February.

    He blamed the shift of the mock examination on the strike embarked on by members of NASU, noting that the strike made the CBT centres in affected tertiary institutions not available for accreditation.

    The JAMB registrar also banned the use of wristwatches, biros, pencils and other devices from the examination hall.

    He added that the ban affects both candidates and examination officials.

    Oloyede said: “The Board has prohibited additional materials during the 2018 UTME in the examination hall. These include wrist watches, biros, calculator, biros, pencils except the common HB pencil, and any other device that can store data, transmit or receive signal no matter the form. These prohibitions are not only applicable to the candidates but to all examination officials. The reasons for this will be provided shortly.

    “Scanned pictures of candidates are no longer accepted for registration, except live capture at the accredited CBT Centres as part of the Registration Procedure. Furthermore, candidates’ pictures will be embossed on all candidates’ documents generated by JAMB henceforth,” he said.

    The registrar also disclosed that Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu has queried 42 institutions for charging candidates more than N2000 for their post-UTME.

    “There is nothing wrong with post-UTME provided that our candidates are not extorted. The honourable minister of education queried about 42 institutions for charging more than N2000. We made recommendation to the minister and the minister said all of them should refund the money. He gave them two weeks and all of them are making refund now.

    “He has put his feet down that all excess charges should be refunded and people can testify to the fact. Where they have the list they are paying them directly and in this case where Vice Chancellors proved clearly that those candidates could not be traced the minister has given appropriate directive.

    “Candidates are reporting back to us. In one case where they could not, the minister directed that they should pay the money to a non religious orphanage, orphanage owned by the state or anything because those people couldn’t be traced,” the registrar said.

    According to him, the figures being paraded as qualified candidates to write its examination was not true.

  • JAMB accredits 72 centres for 2018 UTME in Lagos

    JAMB accredits 72 centres for 2018 UTME in Lagos

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has accredited 72 centres in Lagos State for the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

    The State Coordinator of JAMB, Mr Sunday Aladegbaye, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos that 63 centres were accredited for the examination in 2017.

    He said the increase indicated that more candidates were likely to participate in 2018 Computer Based UTME.

    “”Preparations are in top gear for the examination in the state.

    “”We have accredited 72 centres that have met our requirements for the conduct of the mock and the main examination in 2018.

    “”But this figure can increase,’’ Aladegbaye said.

    He warned mischief makers to desist from setting up strange centres for registration to defraud innocent Nigerians.

    “”Experience has shown that some group of persons would create a strange website in the name of JAMB and be registering candidates to defraud them.

    ““This is misleading just as it is criminal.

    “”We also wish to reach out to candidates to go to only approved centres for their registrations.

    “”We (JAMB) will not be accountable for anything that happens to them.’’

    The JAMB official said that the board would prosecute any person or group of persons caught operating any illegal or unaccredited registration centre for its examinations.

    He said the board was prosecuting a fraudster in court for allegedly registering candidates for the 2017 UTME.

    “”He operated the centre at a place very close to our Lagos office on Ojora way in Lagos.

    ““When he was caught, he did not show any remorse for his action.

    ““We will continue with the case until justice is achieved to serve as a deterrent to others.

    ““We are a credible organisation and feel strongly that things should be done the right way and with due process.

    “”It is only logical that any person or persons willing to do business with JAMB, go through the right channel in order not to cause Nigerians pains,’’ he said.

     

    NAN

  • 50 prison inmates to write 2018 UTME

    No fewer than 50 prison inmates will sit for the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), according to an official.

    The Principal, Ikoyi Prisons School, Mr Idris Ibikunle, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

    According to him, the school has prepared the inmates well for the examination as officials of the facility have stepped up efforts in ensuring an excellent performance.

    “Right now, we are preparing about 50 of the inmates for the next UTME and by what I see, they are very determined to excel.

    “We are yet to enroll them for the examination proper; we want to give a little more room for others interested so we can do the enrolment once.

    “I am optimistic that we will enroll more than 50 of the inmates for the examination,’’ Ibikunle told NAN.

    NAN recalls that earlier this year, 59 inmates were registered for the 2017 UTME out which 35 had their results released and are at various stages of admission placement to tertiary institutions.

    The principal also said 40 inmates were being prepared for the newly introduced 2018 January/February diet of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates.

    According to him, prisons officials were committed to ensuring that the inmates had nothing to lose, academically, despite their incarceration.

    NAN recalls that the principal had, at the maiden edition of the facility’s Education Award ceremony recently in Lagos, said 20 of the inmates were running various courses in different disciplines at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

    He said they were posting impressive performances in their chosen fields, ranging from Criminology, Security and Peace Studies, Theology, Business Administration to Mass Communication

    He, however, highlighted some constraints facing the school in the prison facility.

    “We are in need of stationery as well as the establishment of a befitting Computer Based Test (CBT) centre for our external examinations.

    “We, therefore, call for support from well-meaning Nigerians and organisations to join hands with us in ensuring that the dreams of these persons are kept alive,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • ‘Only 30 per cent of UTME candidates will be admitted this year’ – NUC

    ‘Only 30 per cent of UTME candidates will be admitted this year’ – NUC

    The National Universities Commission (NUC) has said only 30 per cent out of the 1.7 million candidates that wrote the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) this year will be admitted.

    This according to the NUC was due to the limited admission spaces available in the universities.

    This was revealed by the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed. Prof. Rasheed spoke at a one-day public hearing on the regulatory conflict between the Joint Admission Matriculation Board, JAMB and universities in offering admission in Nigeria.

    The hearing was organised by Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund on Tuesday.

    The NUC boss said the limited spaces in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions have made admission crisis inevitable.

    According to Rasheed, the only way to avert admission crisis is to either expand access or create more universities to accommodate students.

    “The crisis of admission in this country is inevitable. Unless we expand spaces, we shall continue to have admission crisis in this country.

    “Every exam has its own problem. We believe JAMB exam is credible and all of us operating in the system respect the results of JAMB exam,” he said.

    JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede said there was no conflict between JAMB and universities.

    Prof. Oloyede said most of the candidates, who sit for its examination annually do not have the required qualification to gain admission.

    He said: “It is not true that we have 1.7 million candidates that are ready to go into the Nigerian university system. Of the 1.7 million that took the exam, I can say conveniently that not more than 30 per cent of them are not prepared for admission; they are just trying. They do not have the five O’Level required to go into the university.

    “Secondly, let me also let us realise that 10 per cent of the 1.7 million that we see or 1.9 million as the case may be, they are not what can be categorised as belonging to the net enrolment ratio for entering tertiary education. They belong to the gross enrolment ratio.

    “Eighty per cent of candidates sitting at the point of sitting do not have the O’Level at all. They are awaiting results. So, when we are building our theories and analysis, we need to be very cautious.

    “If you score 400 over 400 if you do not have the five O’Level, you cannot come into the university. The basic qualification is the five O’Level.”

     

  • High UTME score is no guarantee for varsity admission – JAMB tells candidates

    The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has said that only a combination of JAMB cut-off marks, post-UTME, ‘O’ level results and other admission criteria as determined by institutions can ensure candidates’ admission.

    The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed this at an intensive training and sensitization forum on Central Admissions Processing System for the 2017/2018 academic session on Thursday in Abuja.

    Oloyede said that scoring higher than the minimum cut-off marks did not guarantee admission, though it does make candidates eligible for admission consideration.

    He added that institutions determine the institutional, programme and course cut-off marks and other admission criteria in the exercise of their autonomy.

    According to him, the cut-off mark by JAMB is only a threshold below which no institution can admit candidates.

    “JAMB is not an examination body; rather, it is a ranking body. If there are enough spaces in the tertiary institutions, there may not be a need for UTME.

    “JAMB is a screening body to rank already qualified candidates. It is a coordinating and clearing house.

    “The cut-off mark is not a pass or fail mark. It is not the total score but one of many factors such as post-UTME (where applicable), ‘O’ Level results scoring, etc.,” he explained.

    He added that regulating agencies such as the National Universities Commission, National Board for Technical Education, National Commission for Colleges of Education, among others, could decide the admission quota for institutions.

    He further explained that JAMB introduced CAPS so as to ensure that every UTME candidate gets fair treatment.

    Oloyede said with CAPS, candidates now have the choice to either accept or reject admission offer.

    He, however, advised candidates to ensure that they indicate the acceptance or rejection of admission online and timely to enable the processing of their admission.

    He urged institutions to comply with their advertised criteria for admission, including the cut-off marks.

  • We won’t reschedule UTME for candidates’ lateness – JAMB Registrar

    We won’t reschedule UTME for candidates’ lateness – JAMB Registrar

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said on Saturday that there would be no rescheduling of examination for candidates who reported late for the mop-up examination.

    JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, said this while reacting to complaints by candidates sitting for the mop-up examination at the board’s Computer-Based Centre (CBT) in Bwari, FCT.

    Oloyede, who led some staff members on the supervision of the exercise, said the exam was a supplementary Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) being conducted in 170 centres across the country.

    He said 85, 000 candidates slated for the mop-up exam were notified through text messages and warned those who came late that the board would not reschedule the exam.

    “There is nothing you can do … we placed adverts in newspapers, sent e-mails and text messages and if you did not get it, it means that you were not invited for the exam.

    “A bulk Short Message Service (SMS) was equally sent to your telephone numbers that you provided during the registration.

    “We will not reschedule the exam for people who came late,” Oloyede said.

    On complaints about system failure, Oloyede explained that the computers had been programmed to work under a specific time frame and urged candidates to engage the computers regularly to avoid disruption.

    According to him, if a candidate sits down in the exam hall doing nothing, the computer is likely to shut down because there is a time frame for its usage.

    “If you do not use it, it will go off. When you sit and you are not doing anything within that time frame, we also monitor from our system to ensure you that candidates are not cheating,”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the 85, 000 candidates of the 1.7 million enrolled for the 2017 UTME had registered late for the exam and also had some challenges with the exam.

    The mop-up examination which held in two sessions lasted for two hours from 7.00 a.m. to 9.00 a.m.

     

     

    NAN

  • JAMB, Registrar Oleyede bag highest awards over successful CBT – UTME

    JAMB, Registrar Oleyede bag highest awards over successful CBT – UTME

    Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for Transparency on Governance has hailed the management of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, over the successful conduct of the recent Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

    CCSOTG subsequently conferred the title of ‘IDEAL CHANGE AGENT’ on JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oleyede for the well-conduct of the examination.

    The highly revered group, which mission is to hold government and government agencies accountable by making sure they affect their abilities and deliver their mandates to the public, noted that after monitoring the exercise, it concluded that the Oleyede-board has done well.

    CCSOTG said its reaction became imperative following the recent reform process in the sector, which attracted divided opinions from the general public on its impact for the selection of undergraduates.

    The group said, after monitoring the exercise, it discovered that JAMB should be given more kudos than knocks.

    “You will agree that this was imperative given the conflicting positions being stated by various stakeholders. It was therefore necessary that the coalition places itself in vantage position to be able to speak to facts.

    “We therefore leveraged on our wide network to do on the ground monitoring of the examination. This of course was after we had dedicatedly followed the processes leading to the exercise itself. The aftermath of the examination, which included the release of results were also closely watched,” Sabo Odeh Executive Director/Convener of the organization made this known at a press conference held in Abuja on Thursday.

    According to Odeh, after observing the Computer Based Test UMTE, which JAMB monitored through closed circuit television (CCTV) in addition to other traditional assurance system, observed that despite the best efforts of JAMB, organization of the UMTE experienced some hitches.

    He observed that lapses were however externally motivated to an extent that the Board had limited wiggle room to influence them otherwise.

    Odeh said the CBT Centres would still have to do more to meet the standards demanded by JAMB.

    He said, “Since these are businesses that deploy their facilities for other uses, the burden is on them to upgrade as necessary since they are not offering their services for free. Our suggestion is that JAMB should explore new partnerships with a view to delisting centres that have proven problematic.”

    The group’s convener also observed that the board needed to improve on broadband connectivity, which he said some critics noted that the “connectivity was a critical issue in the conduct of the examination. Unfortunately, this is a national issue that requires further investment in broadband infrastructure by telecommunications companies.

    He also cited the instance of computer literacy where, “some candidates did not have computer literacy skill on the level to allow them comfortably write the examination. Such candidates do not however constitute the majority. Our recommendation is for JAMB to work with the relevant stakeholders to boost the computer literacy of secondary school students so that they would have become capable at the point of writing the examination.”

    Despite all the hitches, the group confirmed that, “conduct of the UTME was orderly, conformed with best standards at most parameters, and is commendable. Instances of malpractices were however recorded at centres where people colluded to cover the cameras with hoods.”

    It also hailed JAMB for the timely release of results of candidates, which has justified the innovations put in place by JAMB

    It also suggested that JAMB should consider a-three-year ban for both candidates and centres implicated in malpractices. The push to reform our nation should be grounded in the education sector.

    “Having duly considered the organization of the UTME, its conduct and results that reflect the reality of the Nigerian situation, we have resolved to award the Registrar of JAMB, Professor Ishaq Oleyede with one of our most prestigious honour. We hereby confer on Professor Oloyede the honour of IDEAL CHANGE AGENT. This is even more so as he has, of all the President’s appointees, demonstrated uncommon leadership qualities and commitment within the shortest period of his appointment.”

  • 2017 UTME: We’ll monitor conduct via CCTV, sanction cheats accordingly – JAMB

    2017 UTME: We’ll monitor conduct via CCTV, sanction cheats accordingly – JAMB

    …debunks claims of addition of extra 40marks by National Assembly

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, says it will watch recordings of proceedings in its Closed Circuit Camera Televisions, CCTVs, during the just-concluded Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.

    The board’s Head, Media and Information, Fabian Benjamin, said in a statement on Sunday in Lagos that such would enable it to detect places where examination malpractices actually occurred.

    According to Benjamin, where there is any semblance of irregularities, the board will not hesitate to do the needful, that is, sanction the cheats.

    “Those who know they were involved in any acts inimical to our examination ethics should not celebrate as their inglorious days of punishment will soon surface.

    “Again, we want to seize this opportunity to debunk messages being circulated by those who do not wish our education well that the Senate has passed a bill urging the board to add extra 40 marks to candidates.

    “There is no bill anywhere, not even a motion has been tabled before the two chambers of the National Assembly on the board’s 2017 UTME performance,” the statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said.

    “The board wants to state for the umpteenth time that our examination is not a ‘fail pass’ examination; it is a selection examination, so, it can never be said that there is mass failure.

    “It will be absolutely wrong for mischief makers to begin to analyse an examination that has just been concluded without even looking at the overall result.

    “We urge candidates to disregard all funny connotations online on their results as the board will not contemplate doing all that is being speculated as that will negate the ethics of an examination body as critical as JAMB.”

    It added that the board’s major concern had always been to ensure that cheating during and after examination were reduced to zero level, and this, he said, the board had substantially achieved.

    It also noted that in order to ensure that the 2017 UTME met international best standards of transparency, the registrar had constituted a taskforce with the mandate to examine the entire conduct of the examination

    The statement said the taskforce was expected to look at the fortification processes done by the board, identify loopholes in various centres if any and consider cases that would require urgent action, especially those involving candidates.

    According to the statement, the taskforce is also expected to investigate malpractice cases and recommend likely sanctions in accordance with the provisions of the Examination Malpractice Act.

    “One of the likely benefits of this taskforce which has renowned scholars and management staff is to ensure that it identified challenges to be addressed so that they don’t occur subsequently.

    “The board is determined to ensure equity and fairness to all candidates and will not hesitate to allow the weight of the law to deal with whoever is involved in any infraction,’’ it said.

    NAN

     

  • More than 10,000 candidates caught cheating in Anambra – JAMB

    More than 10,000 candidates caught cheating in Anambra – JAMB

    The Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB) says more than 10,000 candidates caught for examination malpractices in the ongoing UTME in Anambra have been handed over to appropriate authority.

    Lynda Nwachukwu, the Coordinator of the board in Anambra, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Saturday.

    NAN reports that the all computer-based testing (CBT) mode 2017 UTME, which started on May 13 in 642 centres nationwide, ended on May 20.

    Ms. Nwachukwu said the examination, which took place in 28 centres in the state, was successful.

    “There was no disruption of the exercise in any of the examination centres,’’ she said.

    The coordinator said the candidates adhered strictly to the requirements of the examination, adding that JAMB provided all the materials required for the examination.

    NAN correspondent, who monitored the last batch of the examination, reports that some parents complained of system failure in some CBT centres in the state.

    Eucharia Okonkwo, a parent, said her daughter, who wrote the examination at the St Mary’s High School Ifite-Dunu centre, could not complete the examination due to the faulty computer and network failure at the centre.

    According to her daughter, many candidates could not complete the questions in record time because of the faulty system.

    Ms. Okonkwo advised JAMB to plan well for examination in subsequent years to avoid the technical hitches that could give the candidates psychological trauma.

    Mose Mojekeh, Head, Department of Marketing at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, told NAN on telephone that such system failure in UTME was not acceptable.

    According to him, the hiccups could potentially deny young people from Anambra State university admission.

    Mr. Mojekeh advised JAMB to urgently collate the number of candidates affected and set another examination for them.

    He also decried the practice whereby JAMB sends officials from one state to supervise examinations in another state.
    “Experience has shown that such officials do not care much about the candidates when problems arise, as they leave them to their fate,’’ the lecturer said.

    He called on the management of schools, whose candidates experienced the computer failure, to take their complaints to the State Ministry of Education to present their cases.
    JAMB concluded the 2017 CBT UTME on May 20.

    (NAN)