1.4 million candidates to write 2015 JAMB

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disclosed that no fewer than 1.4 million candidates nationwide would write the 2015 All Computer Base Test (CBT) on March 4.

Mr Fabian Benjamin, JAMB Public Relations Officer, said that the board would be migrating all to computer-based mode of examination for the first time.

The Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, had in the last few years, sensitised secondary schools students on the computer-based mode of test effective from 2015.

Prior to this time, candidates have been writing either of the CBT as the Paper Pencil Test (PPT) or the Dual Based Test (DBT) mode of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

According to Benjamin, JAMB is impressed with the number of candidates that have registered for the March examination.

``I want to say that we are expecting no fewer than 1.4 million candidates that will be attempting the examination in all computer-based mode of examination, commencing from this year.

``We are also happy to announce that we also have enough centres that will match the number of candidates that will be writing the examination.

``We have gone round to all the centres to assess the level of preparedness of the centres we intend to use for the examination and that they have all met the standard.

``I can assure that JAMB is fully ready for take-off of the examination as all logistics to ensure a successful outcome of the examination are fully on ground.

``We urge candidates to be fully prepared, avail themselves of the opportunity of practising with the computer on their own.

``There is nothing strange about writing the examination through this mode and their normal telephone usage,'' Benjamin said.

He urged public spirited individuals and corporate organisations to invest in CBT by way of building and equipping more centres.

The JAMB spokesman said that the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO) and other examination bodies would soon be migrating to the computer-based examination mode soon.

``There is no going back on the issue of CBT for examination as a body, so we are optimistic that soon this will apply to other sister examination bodies.

``One thing we are currently excited about on our own as a board is that currently, we have commenced exporting the CBT technology for examination to other parts of the world.

``Recently, we were in Ghana where we educated them on the conduct of the CBT mode of our examination.

``The registrar had also visited other African countries and Europe to educate them on the conduct and success of this mode of examination and I think this is quite laudable,'' Benjamin said.