JAMB plans to reduce UTME exams duration – Registrar

The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, on Wednesday said the agency may reduce the timeline for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) from three hours to two hours.
He also said the question papers will be uploaded five minutes to the examinations in order to check malpractice.
He, however, confirmed that about 300,000 candidates might sit for the mock UTME examinations on April 8 which will be used to test run its new technology to make its examinations easier for students.
Oloyede unfolded JAMB’s plans at a Strategic Planning retreat on Supervision and Evaluation of 2017 UTME examinations.
“As for the 2017 UTME, it is likely we reduce the duration of the examinations. We are looking at two hours for the examinations instead of the present three-hour timeline. This is in line with international best practices.
“As for the candidates, for their age, the maximum time they can sit for examinations is two hours. Even in terms of international standard, for primary school pupils, the maximum time for examinations is between 45 minutes and one hour.” He explained.
The Registrar also said the “questions will be uploaded about five minutes to the examinations” in order to check any leakage or malpractice.
He said JAMB has embraced new technology which will make the UTME comfortable to write by students in privileged environment and those in rural areas.
According to him, “On April 8, we are going to do the rehearsal of the technology through mock UTME which we are going to conduct.
“From the general feedback on the adoption of the Computer Based Test mode, we have noted the challenge of low level computer literacy for some candidates, especially with the phobia for the mouse. This has been responsible partly for calls by some people for reversal to the Paper and Pencil Test mode.
”In order to ensure equity and level playground for all candidates taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, the Board has designed a system that will allow candidates use only eight keys without the use of the mouse.” He explained.