The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said that it could only take 211,000 out of 267,000 candidates that applied to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) mock examination.

The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed this on Monday in Bwari while addressing journalists after visiting some Computer Based Test (CBT) centres in Bwari and Dutse areas of the city.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that the board had earlier scheduled Feb. 26 for candidates who wish to write the mock examinations.

According to Oloyede, the board reduces the number of candidates for the mock examination because it does not intend to conduct the examination for more than a day.

“It is not that we cannot have more than this number but because if we are to take the examination in all the areas in a particular town, it will take three days.

“We can take only what a town can take, that is how far we can go,” he said.

While describing the action as unfortunate, he noted that the board had apologised to those candidates that were not fortunate to sit for the examination.

The registrar, however, assured that the board had put in place measures to ensure effective monitoring of candidates for the examination.

He stated that the board had mobilised 2,000 non JAMB staff, in addition to the 1,600 members of staff of its staff on ground across its 602 CBT centres, for effective conduct of the exercise.

Oloyede reiterated the board had banned certain items into the examination halls, adding that it would stop at nothing to fight examination malpractice.

“We urge candidates that it is either you write the examination or you do not write.

“When questions become difficult and you begin to unplug or tamper with the systems, this will not be entertained again.

“We are monitoring each system now and when we discover any logout, it is at the candidate’s instance, then they would have to carry their cross.

“No more mop up or second chances because we have been able to tackle the logout challenges that occurred in the previous year.”

Oloyede also cautioned the JAMB approved centres against fraudulent activities during the exercise.

This, he said was because the board paid in excess what it was supposed to pay after the 2018 exercise, adding that some centres rescheduled candidates where attempts of log in proved abortive.

He stated that the board would not tolerate any excuse on computer failure but ensure payment for candidates who successfully log in as well as those who were absent from the centres.

The board had earlier noted that the mock examination was optional, adding that it was an arrangement to test candidates’ readiness for the UTME slated to hold from March 9 to March, 12. (NAN)

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