UTME: JAMB calls for calm due to technical difficulties

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has urged students who had technical difficulties during the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination to maintain composure, as the examination will be rescheduled. The 2024 JAMB exam began on Friday.

Prof. Ishaq Oloyode, the JAMB Registrar, made the request while answering questions from reporters after seeing the exam in Kogo-Bwari, Abuja. He stated that, thus far, the UTME has gone smoothly and that only one center has reported experiencing problems.

“We appeal to the public to understand this. Some centres will fail. I have heard of only one centre that has failed today.

“By the end of today, I expect about 10 per cent of the centres to have one problem or the other because we know the level of development in different parts of the country.

“We are not encouraging this, but when it happens, please do not disrupt others. It is important to note that when a session fails because of a problem, you cannot bring those candidates to do session two, they will have to step aside, and the headquarters will have to be contacted.

“The earliest time they can be scheduled will be after 4:30 p.m. so that those slated for sections two and three can write, and these candidates can now write for session four, and in some cases, they can even be scheduled for the following day,” he stated.

Read also:

• Ex-corper describes how she started a food business by saving up her NYSC allawee
• NiMet forecasts unstable weather in the north and south
• Airports in Iran reopen following an attack on Israel

Speaking further, the head of JAMB stated that other characteristics that are taken into consideration for admission would not be captured if scholarships were awarded to UTME top performers only based on exam results.

“Yes, MTN and other people are giving scholarships to the highest (scorers) but we have always discouraged them because you scored high in UTME doesn’t mean you are the best because some other factors will come in; the quality of your O Level will be added to it, post-UTME scores will be added to it. If you are going to NDA, your physical exercise will be added to it before we can say that you are the best; before we rank you, why rank people prematurely?

“You will see somebody saying my son scored 330, and in addition to that, he had seven A1s. Is he not qualified? He might be qualified when you are ranking people in your village; when it comes to Nigeria, he may be 650 despite the so-called brilliant to you,” he said.

The nationwide 2024 UTME is underway today and will continue tomorrow.

About The Author