The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), on Thursday said over 1.6 million forms had been purchased for this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) scheduled for 27th April.

The Public Relations Officer of the Board, Mr Fabian Benjamin, said this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Benjamin told NAN that of the figure, 90.000 candidates would be tested with the newly introduced Computer Based Test (CBT) and Dual Based Test (DBT).

He said that already, the board had put in place strategies that would ensure a hitch free examination across the 3,000 centres nationwide.

According to him, the sale of forms is expected to end on Friday March 15, while the website used for the sale will be closed on March 24.

“We have concluded arrangements for the takeoff of the 2013 UTME examination which will commence on April 27, for candidates for the Pencil Paper Test (PPT).

“We are currently trying to adjust the examination date for the Computer Based Test (CBT) and Dual Based Test (DBT) candidates because the date coincides with the 2013 May/June WAEC and NECO examination dates.

“I cannot say precisely when it will take place for now until we are through with the adjustment so that it does not cause any clash for the candidates but as soon as this is achieved, we shall communicate to all those concerned,” he said.

He said that the number of candidates that had so far applied for this year’s examination was higher than that of 2012 which, according to him, was put at 1.4 million nationwide.

Benjamin told NAN that the board was looking forward to a hitch-free examination with an almost zero level of examination malpractice in view of the logistics that would be deployed.

“We have written to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, applying for a deployment of their men for the examination.

`We are looking forward to having at least two of these security officers in each of the centres nationwide, to ensure a peaceful and hitch-free examination,” Benjamin said.

The PRO noted that with the introduction of the CBT, there would be no incidence of examination malpractice or rowdiness which characterised previous examinations.
According to him, candidates sitting for the CBT will have their results promptly released to them after the examination.

“With the introduction of the CBT, there will be no incidence of examination malpractice, impersonation and rowdiness that is usually the case with the PPT mode. Writing the examination through the CBT is as easy as using one’s phone.”

Source: Punch