UTME 2018: Candidates recount experience of first session

Some candidates, who sat for day one of the 2018
Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations,
UTME, on Saturday commended the Joint
Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, even
as few panicked due to their unfamiliarity with the
use of computers.
JAMB had stated that candidates participating in
the UTME should not be complaining of not
knowing their examination centres when they
have not gone to print their slip.
The proprietor of Lagooz Schools Agege, Lagos,
Abayomi Otubela,
whose school serves as one of the UTME centres,
announced this to the parents of the candidates at
the waiting lodge in the centre.
Otubela said some candidates had difficulties
navigating through the computers, which made
them to panic.
“Some of our children are fidgeting because they
are not familiar with the use of computers.
“Some of them said they cannot even navigate to
move to the next subject, so we had to put them
through the process before the examination
started,” he said.
He advised parents to inform those, who had not
written the examination, to get familiar with the
use of computers and the JAMB software.
“For those of you, who have people that haven’t
written, let them get familiar with the use of
computer and JAMB software.
“That was why JAMB conducted the mock
examination so that they can familiarise
themselves with the software.’’
He also advised parents to encourage their
children to prepare well academically in order to
gain admission into the schools of their choice.
Meanwhile, some candidates sitting for the
ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation
Examinations, UTME, in some centres in Lagos,
Benin and Abuja have commended the JAMB as
CBT proceeds smoothly in most centres.
NAN reports that the examination commenced on
Friday across the country, with computer Based
Test, CBT.
A cross section of the candidates writing the test
at Connection Computer Centre, Lagos,
commended JAMB for its proper organisation.
Kehinde Adenuga said the organisation of the
examination was convenient for applicants.
“The process of registration and allocation has
been convenient, as everything is done online.
“The first batch started by 7a.m, and I will be in
the next batch to write by 9 a.m. I can only pray
for the best,” he said.
Chime Lucky, another candidate, expressed hope
for success in the test.
“I wrote JAMB in 2017 but I didn’t do too well, I
hope and pray that I am able to secure admission
this year,” she said.
A parent, Obinna Ume, who brought his ward to
write the test, also commended the arrangement.
“There is no rowdiness and the candidates are
expected to have basic knowledge of computer to
write the test.
“This is commendable and it will go a long way to
encourage computer literacy among students,” he
said.
Supervisor for the examination centre, Akinyele
Ariyo, assured that the test was foolproof against
manipulation.
“The examinations we are conducting are well
organised and protected against malpractices.
“The questions are computer based and cannot be
leaked by anybody, and the centres are monitored
with security cameras connected to a central
server ” he said.
Ariyo said that his centre accommodated 250
candidates for each batch, with three batches in a
day.
Also, some 2018 UTME candidates in Benin on
Saturday tasked JAMB to be time cautious.
One of the candidates, Endurance Abang, told NAN
that the exams was schedule for 7a.m but could
not start until 8.a.m.
Abang said that some of the candidates travelled
early to their various centres without food only to
start waiting for JAMB officials.
He however, called on JAMB to make mock
examinations compulsory for all the candidates
that enrolled for the exam, adding that it would
enable them to familiarise with computers and
other back-ups equipment used at the exam
centres.
Another candidate, Solomon Osarodion, lauded
JAMB for the smooth conduct of the examination,
however, warned JAMB for not commencing
examination early enough as slated.
Osarodion said that JAMB should ensure proper
monitoring of all the facilities used during the
exams as he said that some of the computers are
outdated.
A centre administrator, Daniel Egeonu, said that
JAMB has a way of monitoring all its accredited
centre before the commencement of each exams,
adding that JAMB would not accredited any centre
without meeting its requirements.
Egeonu, however, blamed late commencement of
exams on the part of candidates not arriving
centres early enough.
Also an Inspector on Call, IC, Idowu Odufoye, from
the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps,
NSCDC, told NAN that they recorded a hitch-free
screening at the centre.
“We carried out the screening in four different
stages and there was no problem with the
candidates.
“They complied, obeyed instructions and none of
them were caught with any incriminating material,
Odufoye said.
According to a JAMB official, Moshood Momoh, no
issue was encountered during the examination
and the candidates behaved very well and were
orderly.
NAN reports that out of 250 candidates registered
for the first day at the centre, only one candidate
was absent.