JAMB 2023 UTME Latest News and Updates for Today Monday 1st May 2023

Stay informed about the latest news and updates on the JAMB 2023 UTME as we bring you all the important details on Monday 1st May 2023. Keep yourself updated and prepared for the upcoming exam.

• Breaking News: JAMB Releases 2023/2024 UTME Results

JAMB 2023 UTME Latest News and Updates for Monday 1st May 2023

2023 UTME: JAMB to start releasing results soon – Official

According to the Head of the Public Affairs and Protocol Unit of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Fabian Benjamin, the board is currently reviewing the details of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted so far in 2023. Once all the necessary checks and balances have been completed, the results of the candidates who have taken their papers since the start of the examination on Tuesday will be released.

Benjamin made this announcement on Thursday after observing the ongoing examination in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory. He further mentioned that the JAMB board is in a meeting to finalize the results and that the first batch of results will be released soon by the grace of God.

Despite the hitches that were recorded at the commencement of the examination nationwide on Tuesday, the JAMB official described the conduct of this year’s examination as “one of the best” the examination body has conducted in recent times. Benjamin noted that the development which JAMB observed across about 100 computer-based test centres led to rescheduling of the examination for the affected candidates.

Benjamin also stated that only 6% of the candidates, which is equivalent to 64,000 out of 947,000 who have taken the test so far, have experienced hitches. The board has already rescheduled their tests for other sessions.

It is expected that almost 1.6 million candidates seeking admission into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and monotechnics will take the tests before Tuesday 2 May. Benjamin noted that while the board cannot promise Nigerians that technical hitches will not be experienced, he assured that all candidates who registered for the exams will be given the opportunity to take the tests. He urged candidates, particularly those who couldn’t sit for the first day’s exercise, to continue to check their profile to print their slips as they will be rescheduled to take the examinations.

In summary, the JAMB board is currently reviewing the UTME details conducted so far and will release the results of the candidates soon. Only 6% of the candidates have experienced hitches, and their tests have been rescheduled. Benjamin also commended the conduct of this year’s examination despite the hitches recorded at the commencement.

JAMB organizes UTME for visually-impaired candidates

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the Nigerian examination body responsible for organizing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), has organized a special UTME for visually-impaired candidates in Enugu State, located in Nigeria’s southeast. The UTME is an annual examination organized for candidates seeking admission to tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Over 20 visually-impaired candidates were seen taking the examination at a UTME center inside the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, where JAMB officials read out examination questions to the candidates, who attempted answering the questions using their personal typewriters and other gadgets.

The coordinator of the UTME center, Mosto Onuoha, revealed that the JAMB registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, initiated the idea of organizing separate UTME examinations for visually-impaired candidates across the country in 2017. Oloyede created the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), a coalition of people helping to organize the examinations for the candidates.

Onuoha explained that UTME candidates take computer-based tests, which blind people cannot, so they have to find a way of giving visually-impaired candidates the same exam, whether they want to read law or sociology in the university or polytechnic.

The visually-impaired candidates took the same UTME examination questions as candidates without visual impairments, but the difference lay in the method of conducting the UTME examinations. The process of registering for the examination was the same.

A total of 28 candidates registered for the UTME center in Enugu, but only 27 showed up. The exam body provided hotel accommodations for the candidates and fed them until the conclusion of the examination. They also gave them a token for their travel.

The coordinator believed that the initiative could be sustained, considering that the number of visually-impaired candidates taking the UTME examination represented a small fraction of the total UTME candidates per year, which was approximately 1.6 to 1.7 million. The visually-impaired candidates commended JAMB for considering their plight and making the special arrangements for them.

Franklin Ifeanyi, a visually-impaired candidate who hoped to study law in the university, described the examination process as excellent. Sarima Owhor, another visually-impaired candidate, said the arrangement by JAMB was the best so far and thanked JAMB for considering them and making it easier for them.

UTME: Malpractice, impersonation have reduced, says Oloyede

Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede has stated the level of malpractice and impersonation in Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has reduced drastically following measures put in place by the board.
Oloyede said he was impressed that malpractice and impersonation had reduced nationwide and now below the international standard in terms of percentage.

“The level of malpractice and impersonation have reduced drastically. I am impressed that throughout the country it has become very minimal. In fact, it is now below the international standard in terms of the percentage. We have better devices to determine what is happening in centres and the system won’t allow it,” he said.

Addressing journalists in Lagos at the weekend when monitoring the examination across centres, he commended the conduct of the UTME nationwide. He also hailed Lagos centres for performing well.

The JAMB Registrar monitored the examination in West African Examination Council Testing and Training Centre in Ogba, Lagos; JKK Ilupeju and the University of Lagos,among others.

He said challenges in States like Kwara, Borno and Niger on the first day were addressed with the creation of a fourth session for candidates to write the examination.

Oloyede noted that JAMB was committed to the cause of visually-impaired candidates and those with other forms of disability.

“I am happy that the committee handling the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG) under the leadership of Prof. Peter Okebukola is doing a good job. We are giving a sense of belonging to those incapacitated by one disability or the other. They are happy the nation cares about them,” he said.

He also said though accredited CBT centres have improved as level of complaints about them has reduced, there was room for improvement because of human factor.

The JAMB Registrar hailed the National Identity Management Commission,the telcos and other stakeholders for their support.

250,000 yet to sit UTME – JAMB

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has said a total of 250,000 candidates have yet to sit for the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

Speaking on Friday evening after monitoring some of the centres in Lagos, including Ogba, Agidingbi, University of Lagos, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Isaq Oloyede, explained that this was due to the rescheduling of the exam for some candidates.

As such, 1.350 million had sat the UTME out of the registered 1.6 million candidates.

Oloyede, however, added that he was impressed by the performance of the Computer Based Centres and the conduct of the candidates.

“I am impressed by the performance of the centres and the conduct of the students. I’m happy that parents are largely kept out of the process. By now, we should have covered 1.5 million out of the registered candidates but because of the rescheduled candidates, we have about 250,000 candidates left. That is why we have about 370 centres that are still running because they have not finished the rescheduled candidates,” he said.

During a visit to the visually impaired centre at the University of Lagos, Oloyede added, “The committee handling this is doing a very good job. And I also believe that those who are incapacitated with one form of disability or the other are given sense of belonging. But from what I have seen, they are happy the government, the nation, now care about them.”

He also told candidates that there was no other way to success but through hard work, saying examination malpractices had reduced in the country.

He continued, “The level of examination malpractice has gone down drastically. I will encourage candidates to know that there is no other way to success than working hard. Throughout the country, the level of examination malpractice, impersonation, is very minimal, in fact below the international standard for examination malpractice, particularly from Lagos. And now we have better devices to detect any form exam malpractice. If you look at the situation in the past, prior to this year, it’s possible for examinations to be disrupted. And examination that was scheduled for 8 am could start 8 pm. The difference now is one hour, after one and half hours, you cannot start that same exam. That’s why this year we have been canceling so many exams. Yes we have to cancel them because they are no longer valid, because the subjects scheduled for that session have been taken elsewhere.

“No candidate can write the exam after the time has passed. Nobody can help such candidate.”

Why our exam started late on Friday – JAMB registrar

The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has given the reason the conduct of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, started late across the country on Friday.

Addressing reporters after going around some examination centres in Lagos at the weekend, he said the delay was caused by human error which was quickly addressed.

This is just as 20 exam centres are to be sanctioned by the Board for the untidy manner they handled the conduct of the exam which started some days ago.

“The first set of candidates slated for 6.30 am on Friday did not start writing their papers until about 9 am because of some human errors that occurred at the ICT department and we quickly rose to the occasion and remedied it. So, at about 9 am on Friday, 204 centres out of the 317 that were to conduct the 6.30 am exam, were fully connected and others followed suit. We regret the inconvenience.

“Honestly speaking, this year’s exam has witnessed fewer hitches than before. Generally from reports so far, it is only in some places in Kwara, Niger and Borno states that we had some challenges and we promptly rescheduled the exam, as no candidate is going to miss out.

“Despite the reduction in exam centres, the number of candidates that have written the exam by now is over 1.2 million out of the over 1.6 million registered candidates. The number of candidates that would have been left by now should not have been up to 300,000 if not for the rescheduling done in some instances.

“However, we have introduced some innovations in this year’s exam that have made things better than before. For instance, instead of all 25 subjects being downloaded every day and at all times, our new arrangement has ensured that on some days, we may not need to download more than seven subjects. What is the need to download say Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics on a day when arts-inclined candidates are writing papers? He explained.

Oloyede also explained why the Board stopped the release of results a day or two after candidates have written their papers, “when we were releasing the results on a daily basis, we were alerted of the shortcomings inherent in doing that by experts in the area. So, we have chosen to wait till the end of the exam to calculate the mean and deviation and come up with our results “

On the claim in some quarters that fixing the exam to start by 6.30 am was inconsiderate, the JAMB boss said those saying that did not know the factors involved and which were taken into consideration.

“The truth is that where we have slated the exam to start by 6.30 am, it is not that the exam starts by that time. It is that 6.30 am that we begin to usher candidates into the waiting hall for them to do the biometric screening. Depending on the number of candidates, that may take one hour. It is after that that the candidates will now go into the exam halls to sit down and relax. The exam would then start at 8am.

“Is it not good for candidates to be at the venue over an hour before the start for them to relax and compose themselves? If our people have appointments at embassies by 5 am, won’t they be there or if they have a flight to catch at that time? Now that we have less than 500,000 candidates that have not written their papers, we still have up until May 3 for the exam to wind down. All the free periods can be used to accommodate those whose papers have been rescheduled,” he stated.

Oloyede expressed satisfaction that malpractice has been reduced to the barest level as a result of the various steps taken by the Board.

JAMB unveils more devices to curb examination malpractices

In its efforts to tackle examination malpractices, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has introduced more sophisticated devices designed specifically to detect infractions of any form before, during and even after examinations conducted by the board.

Registrar of the board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who disclosed this in an interview with journalists while monitoring the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) at some Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres in Lagos, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the exam, saying the level of malpractice and other infractions have reduced greatly.

He said: “Right now, we have better devices to detect whatever is happening, irrespective of where it is happening, before, during and even after the examination. If you look at the situation in the past, prior to this year, it was possible for examinations to be disrupted; impersonation and malpractices have dropped drastically and we are inching towards zero level.”

The registrar urged candidates to stay focused, work hard and shun vices capable of compromising their future, while reminding that there was no short cut to success.
Oloyede said reports from centres across the country indicated that the examination has been hitch free.

“Right now, I will say that the examination is going the way it is designed to and I must say that I am very happy about it. I am impressed that even throughout the country, the level of examination malpractice and other vices have reduced.

“In fact, it is below international standard, in terms of examination malpractice and that is good. This is particularly coming from a place like Lagos that used to be the hub,” Oloyede said. He added that one of the challenges the board has tried to address this year is delay in the commencement of the examination.

According to him, once there is a delay in the commencement of the examination, say for one hour or one and a half hours after the commencement of the examination in any part of the country, candidates cannot sit for that examination.

“We will rather cancel it, because it is no longer valid. This is because the items we have scheduled for that session have been taken elsewhere and it will no longer be proper for us to run it. This is also one of the ways to check examination malpractices,” he stated.

Oloyede, however, regretted the glitches initially experienced in some states on the first day of the examination, saying the challenges had since been addressed.  He disclosed that most of the candidates affected had since been rescheduled, urging those who were yet to sit for the examination to check their profiles and the SMS of their handsets.
 
Oloyede expressed satisfaction with the performance of the various centres nationwide, as well as other stakeholders who cooperated with the board in ensuring that the integrity of the examination was not compromised.

The registrar noted that so far, a total of 1.5 million out of the 1.6 million candidates that registered for the examination ought to have been tested but for the rescheduling that occurred.

Okebukola lauds JAMB for inclusiveness in 2023 UTME

As 947,000 applicants take test in two days 

Three hundred and sixty-four blind candidates are sitting for the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in 11 centres across the federation.

The special test, being conducted by Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for the visually impaired, holds from April 27 to 29 under supervision of JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG). 

Chairman, JEOG, Prof. Peter Okebukola, who made the disclosure, yesterday in Abuja, commended JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, for the innovation and acting out his inclusive policy.

He recalled that since 2017, JEOG had processed about 2,600 candidates for the UTME, with over a third admitted in tertiary institutions, adding that the initiative had been endorsed by several countries as a veritable model for Africa.  
 
The former Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC) explained that the robust test involves use of personal computers (PCs), Braille slate and stylus/typewriters in providing answers to questions read out by subject expert, noting that the blind candidates take same examinations with their normal colleagues. 
 
Okebukola, who is also Chairman, Governing Board of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), said JAMB had approved from next year, gradual migration to full Computer-Based Test (CBT) customised mode for these special candidates.

He pointed out that a pilot run is to be conducted later in the year to test the model and provide options to candidates, who elect for full Braille, CBT and read-aloud modes.

“There are exciting times ahead for blind candidates and others with disabilities in realisation of the dream of Prof. Is-haq Oloyede for equal opportunity,” Okebukola said.

He added: “So far, a good number of blind candidates, processed through JEOG, have secured admissions to federal, state, private universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
 
“In 2019, of the 390 candidates, a total of 175 (44.8 per cent) were given admissions. This is unprecedented in the history of admission of such category of students into Nigerian higher education system, another of Prof. Oloyede’s golden legacies.”

BESIDES, JAMB said some 947,000 candidates sat for the UTME in the last two days. Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, made the submission after monitoring the test alongside the Registrar, Prof. Oloyede and others, yesterday, in Abuja.  He said the Board had resolved observed technical hitches nationwide. 
  
Asked on when the results would be released, Benjamin said the management would make announcement soon.  Recall that over 1.5 million candidates registered for this year’s test, which commenced on April 25 and ends on May 3.

JAMB to sanction 20 CBT centers

The Registrar of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-shaq Oloyede has given reason why the Board is yet to release conducted results from the ongoing 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Oloyede also disclosed that 20 Computer Based-Test (CBT) centers found wanting nationwide would be sanctioned for failure to comply with the guidelines governing the conduct of the UTME.

The JAMB registrar stated this in Lagos while monitoring the ongoing 2023 UTME in some centers and described the conduct as smooth despite the initial hitches experienced.

According to JAMB, 1,595,779 candidates registered for the 2023 UTME and Lagos recorded the highest number of applicants of 270, 573. The exam is been written in 708 centers nationwide.

He said before JAMB used to release the UTME results in batches each day of the exam as was done in 2021 and 2022 after analysing candidates performance for the day.

Oloyede explained that the nationwide delay experienced by candidates on Friday morning was caused by human error as a result the exam started one hour late.

He disclosed that as at Friday 1.5million candidates had taken the exam while 250,000 remaining applicants would write between Saturday, April 29th to May 3.

The JAMB also confirmed that examination malpractice has reduced drastically because of measures introduced to check and tackle the menace.

He added: The level of examination malpractice has gone down. The candidates and parents have realized the danger of engaging in examination malpractice. Even in Lagos, it is minimal. We have better devices now to monitor the UTME. The CBT operators have learnt their lessons.

“The CBT centers have improved and the level of non-compliance has also reduced. The UTME was delayed on Friday for one hour nationwide due to human error.”

On why the Board has not released results since the UTME started in April, Oloyede said it was based on experts advice that the Board was doing the wrong thing of releasing results on a daily basis, which would not capture the true performance of the candidates.

“This year, we will wait the end of the examination. We will analyse and calculate the mean. We will analyse the entire results to get the mean before releasing the results,” he stated.

Prof. Oloyede said the Board was anticipating disruption of the UTME because of the introduction of new measures, noting, “we were expecting there will be failure but so far, it has been smooth. I thank stakeholders for making the UTME smooth.”

The registrar said reports from other states indicate the conduct of the UTME was smooth, stating in Borno, Kwara and Niger states, the Board had problems and the candidates affected have been rescheduled for another date.

He advised such candidates to check the email or their phone to confirm when their exam have been rescheduled.

At some of the CBT centers visited, Oloyede queried the presence of parents at the gates and used the opportunity to interact with some of the candidates waiting for their turn to write the UTME.

Prof. Oloyede expressed disappointed with the conduct of 20 CBT centers and vowed that the Board sanction them, stating, “they failed to perform and they will be sanctioned.”

Ex-Minister, Adedoja Commends JAMB Registrar, Oloyede Over Creation Of Additional Centers For Visually Impaired Candidates

IBADAN – Former Minister of Youth and Sport, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja has on Sunday commended the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, (JAMB) registrar Prof. Isahk Oloyede for providing opportunity for the visually impaired candidates to seat for JAMB examination through creation of additional centers for the special students nationwide.

Prof. Adedoja through a press statement personally issued and made available to journalists in Ibadan the Capital City of Oyo state noted that JAMB through has created opportunity for the visually impaired students in Nigeria to have access to higher education.

It was gathered that no fewer than 337 candidates that are visually impaired were given opportunity to write JAMB examination in 11 newly created centers nationwide.

Adedoja commended JAMB registrar, Prof. Isahk Oloyede for the creation of additional centers at the Federal College of Education, Special, Oyo, where 52 visually impaired students sat for the 2023 UTME JAMB examination last Thursday and Friday.

Prof Taoheed Adedoja, who is the Oyo state center coordinator for JAMB and also the former Provost of the College where the examination took place lauded Prof Ishak Oloyede, treading that this is a major intervention since last seven years.

He said, “This year, JAMB under the leadership of Prof. Oloyede created additional 11 examination centres nationwide for the blind students, this was done considering the interest of bringing the venues of the examination closer to the candidates especially with the security situation in the country and the centres were coordinated by seasoned academics and university administrators with the total number of 337 special candidates.

“Here in Oyo town, at the College of Education, Special, we have students from Oyo state, Kwara and Osun States, this is very commendable, with this laudable effort from JAMB, it showed that our blind students can aspire to study courses of their choice at the higher institutions.

One of the candidates at the examination center, Aliyu Abbas who aspired to study Law and also be a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the examination for blind persons by JAMB.

Abass said, “We blind persons have the hope of practicing the profession of our choice, our disability not withstanding. We want government to support us more when we gain admission into any higher institution”.

Another candidate, Oluwatobiloba Adebayo said,”I want to study English Language. while another candidate, who took the examination with his laptop computer said “ I will be one Nigeria’s computer experts when I graduate”.

JAMB Conducts 2023 Mock-UTME In 725 Centres

Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has conducted the 2023 Mock-UTME in 725 centres across the country.

As anticipated, the exercise witnessed some hitches in a few centres with some candidates unable to sit for the examination. These candidates will be rescheduled to sit for the examination at a date to be announced later at no cost to them.

JAMB’s head of public affairs and protocol, Fabian Benjamin, said the board would look at all issues thrown up by the mock exercise and act accordingly for a better and enhanced examination.

The introduction of the Mock-UTME by the JAMB is aimed at providing it with the opportunity to assess innovations that would be used for the main examination as well as allow candidates to have hands-on experiences on the CBT environment.

The exercise, which was introduced over six years ago, has availed the board the opportunity to try innovations that have significantly improved on the Board’s ability to deliver world-class assessment exercise.

It would be recalled that before the conduct of the 2023 exercise, the board had, in a statement, disclosed that it would be introducing some new measures that had never been used before and would want to use the opportunity of the mock exercise to assess their functionality.

He said, “The board would want to use this opportunity to apologise to all candidates for any inconvenience they might have experienced on account of this. This is part of a development process aimed at enhancing the Board’s efforts at improving the quality, security and sanctity of its services and as well as using the same to herald the next phase of its transformational agenda.

JAMB Urges FG to Support Establishment of Special Examination Centres

The federal government has been advised to support the efforts of individuals who venture into the establishment of private examination centres for the physically-challenged in the country.

An official of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Rasheed Aderinoye, canvassed this in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, during the conduct of JAMB examination for blind candidates who chose Ekiti State University Ado-Ekiti as their centre.

Prof. Aderinoye said out of 336 physically-challenged candidates who were writing the examination across Nigeria, 28 candidates were writing in Ekiti State, adding that their hotel accommodation, transportation, feeding and writing materials were bankrolled by JAMB because they are special candidates.

He stressed the need for the federal government to support those who set up such private examination centres by empowering them,  urging the government to equally pool resources to establish its  own centres so that more special people can enjoy such opportunity.

The JAMB chief appreciated the wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, whose presence he described as a morale booster for those that were yet to buy into the programme, and “even for parents that are not educated to enable them to know that there is a programme of such, an opportunity and hope for them.”

The first lady said she liked to associate herself with the physically-challenged as an educationist, reaffirming her commitment to undertakings that would improve education, which according to her, is her constituency.

“As a society, we have the responsibility to ensure that every child has access to quality education regardless of his/her physical and mental disabilities, and essentially the socioeconomic and political backgrounds.”

She remarked that the efforts of JAMB have contributed immensely to the promotion of diversity, tolerance, acceptance and understanding among the physically-challenged in the society.

According to Mrs. Oyebanji, “Education is the fundamental human rights that every child is entitled to. We should provide education opportunity for all children irrespective of their condition.”

Also, the Vice Chancellor, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Professor Edward Olanipekun, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Prof. James Ayodele, explained that it behooves on the university to ensure that education moves forward in Ekiti State.

He appreciated the Ekiti State Government for its support for the university, adding that the management of the institution will continue to support the administration because of its commitment to education.

Conclusion

The JAMB 2023 UTME is an important exam that requires proper preparation and staying informed about the latest news and updates. With the release of the exam timetable and the announcement of the exam being computer-based, students need to prepare accordingly. As we bring you the latest news and updates, we advise students to stay focused and prepare adequately for the exam. Good luck to all candidates!