Govt To Establish JAMB e-Testing Centres In 774 LGs

THE Federal Government, yesterday, said it would construct over 774 Computer Based Test (CBT) centres for the conduct of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

Minister of Education, Mallam Shekarau disclosed this while monitoring the conduct of the ongoing examination in some centres in Abuja.

The Minister said the construction of the new CBT centres in all the local council areas of the federation would help in the smooth conduct of the examination, adding that it would also eliminate abuse by some private centres.

He confirmed that about 1,000,000 candidates who sat for the ongoing exam already have their results.

He commended the board for the successful introduction of e-testing, which he said was in tune with global trend.

“I am impressed and the purpose of my coming out to conduct this inspection is to compare with what I am reading in the office. For quite a number of weeks, we have been discussing with the management of JAMB, receiving all the compliments and observation from the general public, from stakeholders and we have been sufficiently convinced in the office that all was going to be well, we are satisfied; it is a very good new innovation.

“From what I have seen, I am convinced that what we are told, and read in the books, files, memos from JAMB is correct, they have improved. There is hardly anything on earth that is without one problem or the other, my investigation is that there are one or two areas of complaints, which is less than five percent. With over 400 centres nationwide, there were problems in just about four or five centres, which have been rectified,” he said.

Shekarau pointed out that the Braillenote Apex, a refreshable braille display gadget provided by JAMB for the 150 visually impaired candidates taking the exam was first of its kind in the world.

“We are catching up with modalities; we are catching up with new technology particularly for the blind candidates. It is the first of its kind in the continent,” he added.

Addressing journalists, JAMB registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde disclosed that four centres established by the board would be completed before the end of the year.

“The Federal government has directed that eight new centres be built across the country while four of them would be completed this year.”