An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) expert, Dr Victor Akinola, on Friday said the hitches accompanying the University-Tertiary Matriculation Computer-Based Test (CBT) had made ‘nonsense’ of ICT.

Akinola, Director of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin, made this remark in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

He said that the purpose of ICT was to reduce pressure and make people to do things with ease, but regretted that it had provided a reverse service in ongoing UMTE CBT.

According to him, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is trying to ensure that the whole process is secure and so, there were a lot of checkpoints and controls.

“There are many check points and controls, which ordinarily may not be necessary. In open resources, we do not need too many checkpoints.

“But this is assessment examination and by our developmental level, people think that a lot of things must be guarded before you can prove its authenticity.”

Akinola pointed out that too many checks were affecting the CBT examination.

“I think if it is about open resources, we can reduce the check points.”

The expert said that examination in some other parts of the world was done without any form of guard because it was individualised.

According to him, in the long run, the candidate will come out to prove whatever he or she has been giving during the assessment.

He said that pressure would be reduced if JAMB only set standards for institutions to conduct entrance examination for their respective candidates, adding that “JAMB can then monitor the process.”

“When JAMB conducts the examination, the attendant problems of downloading questions and other hitches become serious issue which may sometimes, lead to mass failure.” (NAN)

•Photo shows JAMB Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde.

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