Candidates scheduled to sit for the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination at Al-Mizyan Schools Computer-Based Centre are currently unable to participate in the exercise owing to technical glitches.
Parents and guardians, who spoke over the telephone, noted that the CBT centre gave excuses regarding glitches with the connection cable.
A parent, who spoke to our correspondent under the condition of anonymity, said after candidates waited for hours, the CBT centre operators advised that candidates should reprint their examination slips with the hope that the examination would be rescheduled. However, the parent noted that there was no change:
“My son went to his centre to sit for the exam. He got there at 8 am, and even people for earlier sections didn’t write. No one scheduled to the centre sat the exam; they gave an excuse that someone shook the wire (connection cable).
“They asked all candidates to go and reprint their slips. He (my son) reprinted his slip, no change of exam time, date, or even the centre.
JAMBHQ students who were supposed to sit for CBT exams at Al-Miyzan Schools’ CBT Centre, Ikotun, didn’t write their exams. The centre kept giving them excuses, and they told the students to go and reprint their exams slips. They (students) did and no change of the date of the exam centre has been effected all.
A sister to an affected candidate, who also spoke to our correspondent under the condition of anonymity, noted that the centre had faulty equipment and hence should not even qualify as a CBT centre.
“Good morning, ma’am. Please, I would like to report a JAMB centre, Al-Miyzan Schools CBT Centre, Ikotun.
“The computers are not working properly, the same as the keyboard and mouse. It shouldn’t be an accredited centre. The first set (7 am) was not able to write the exam. The 2nd set (9 am) has yet to write the exam by 11:30 (am).”
The Public Relations Officer of the Board, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, confirmed that all hands were on deck to ensure that all candidates who had registered sat for the examination. Meanwhile, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has appealed to candidates who experienced glitches during the examination to remain calm, promising that they will be rescheduled.
The JAMB Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyode, appealed while fielding questions from newsmen after monitoring the exam in Kogo-Bwari, Abuja, said so far, the UTME had been going on smoothly as only one centre had been reported to have encountered issues.
“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 said.
