Ahead of the 2021 UTME and Direct Entry registration exercise, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has conducted a centre accreditation and validation exercise of the Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres to be used for the forthcoming registration and examination.

The five-day exercise which started on Wednesday, 17th February 2021, and ended on Friday, 22nd February 2021, was aimed at determining the suitability of the old and new examination centres.

The Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, in his brief remarks on the occasion, said centre accreditation and validation is the first step towards the commencement of the 2021/22 UTME/DE exercise.. 2021 UTME Candidates are therefore advised to start preparing for their exams using the JAMB CBT computer softwares and JAMB CBT mobile app 

According to him, he expects that this year's exercise would record even greater successes. In effect, if a centre falls below expectations, it should not be accredited because if such a centre is found to be defective, a huge question mark is placed on your grading and integrity as a team."

Speaking also, the JAMB's Director of Information Technology said the board added some new guidelines for CBT centres which include but not limited to a redesigned form that would mandate new and old CBT centres to supply the National Identification Number (NIN) of their designated officials adding that any CBT centre that flouts this directive through providing fake NIN, among others, would be sanctioned. Other guidelines include the submission of registration details of any particular centre with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for private centres and those privately-owned but located in the campuses of tertiary institutions. Mr. Okoro also informed the CTAs that the Board frowns at centres sharing premises as it preferred them to be stand-alone entities.

Mr. Okoro called for a more spacious holding room to comply with relevant protocols on COVID-19 particularly with regard to social distancing. Other things that the CTAs had to check, according to the Director, include inhouse restrooms in the examination hall to prevent impersonation and reckless movements.

The Director also stressed that the Board would not accept anything less than the Windows 10 Operating System. In addition, he urged CTAs to inform centres that only a uniform white background should be used while taking the candidates' passports as that would make for a clearer picture. The Director said all these measures were intended to forestall failure from any CBT centre, while announcing that about 654 old centres and 119 new centres would be accredited in the exercise.