JAMB And Matriculation Exams – The Same Old Story

After almost four decades of its existence, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is yet to perfect how to conduct matriculation exam into our universities and other higher institutions. The latest Universal Tertiary Matriculation Exam (UTME) by the board was characterised by widespread cheating by candidates who were reportedly aided in some instances by their parents and invigilators. Apart from some several cases of impersonation, some candidates were even said to havve brought into the examination hall, mobile phones through which answers were sent to them through text messages. Some candidates were also reported to have made T-shirts with answers to anticipated questions printed on the sleeves. This is a criminal improvement on the “mmagic sleepers” worn by candidates to examination halls not too long ago, on which prepared answers sheets were neatly sandwiched.

More alarming was the revelation by the JAMB Registrar, Professor Dibu Ojerinde, that in 40 examination centres, some candidates paid between N5,000 and N20,000 to be allowed to cheat, and that the results of 78,310 candidates from various centres were undergoing screening to ascertain their cupability in malpractices, while 12,110 candidates’ results were being witheld for possible disciplinary action.

The revelation that the board recorded 40,692 invalid results due to multiple shading of answer sheets or no shading at all, is also an indication that candidates may not have been sufficiently informed on how tto fill the answer sheets or they were incapable of reading instructions. Whichever is the case, it is a sad commentary on the conduct of examination by the board.

The massive failure recorded in the examination also showed how long the standard of education has become as only 10 candidates scored above 300 marks, while 801,804 scored below 200. This massive failure recorded is unarguably because students, rather than burn the proverbial midnight candle, now prefer to exploit the lapses in JAMB examinations by relying on the purchase of prepared examination questions and answers.

There were also complaints that several of the candidates who sat for the examination were forced to use computers even though many of them who attended public schools were seeing computers for the first time. Many of those candidates alleged that they had choosen the pencil-paper-test (PPT) but, they were made to take computer-based-test (CBT) at their centres.

Apart from all these, the massive rip-off of candidates who purchased JAMB forms, sat for the examination and passed but were unable to secure admission into any of the higher institutions of learning in another matter of concern. For instance, of the 1,735,720 candidates who sat for the last JAMB examination, only 520,000 candidates would be admitted into higher institutions, leaving over 1.2 million out in the cold. This is because 520,000 is the carrying capacity of all tertiary institutions, including colleges of education. That is. Even an improvement from the 450,000 that was the carrying capacity two years ago.

Even worst is the fact that inspite of the huge cost of conducting JAMB examinatins, UTME result does not even secure any candidate admission into university. That function now is being undertaken by the candidate’s university of choice. This is the underlining basis of the ongoing debate on the relevance and desirability of JAMB in the universities and other terrtiary institutions.

We therefore call on policy makers to go back on drawing board and address the lapses identified in its conduct in its conduct of examinations, sanction the officials that have been found to betray the trust reposed in them, and urgently resolve the debate on the relevance of JAMB in the universities and tertiary institution of learning and admission process.

10 COMMENTS

  1. From delta state How are you sure jamb will not continue to scam us? He (Dibu) only said that to blindfold our parent, the fg and the nation. If only i do not had parents who care about my life (yes i do not care as regards this) i would have said: sir (Dibu) remark my slip and if i score 180 again take my life. But yes i know i cannot prove you wrong on this because of your status (also you scam again this is nigeria) but i (and many other candidates of my like) will still be ready to sacrifice my life to show i did not score 180/400 by God grace (NOTE: Even though the real score would not be awarded) My advice to Nigeria: be wise Nigeria! Do not allow yourselve to be blindfolded. Why this post ? I do not support the notion that those who cheated should be awarded their real score or that Jamb should should be scrap by the fg but i make this post to appease my conscience and forgive Jamb an go on with life (conscience in a sense that if accused for something you did not commit you should be able to deny it. Go on with life in a sense that ever since the release of the result mine was first withhld for biometric whch i did and lately release with low score i have tried feeling indifferent but it kept hurting me that i have to say something. Yes the TRUE) Advice to student if the matter hurt you speek your mind to appease your conscience and leave the rest for God who live and sees all things.

  2. Most we say as ordinary student we have no voice to speak about this misfortune befallen us as Nigerian students, to think that a student would burn his/her night candle(s) so as to cover the syllabus given by Jamb for this years exam, also go into the hall and come out also with surety and certainty that his/her reading and study has paid of, he/she goes home happy eagerly waiting for the result so as to complete the joy of effective study, but unfortunately checks his/her result and finds what was never expected, the devastating trauma it caused him/her to walk home head down and sad.. Now this is a student who labored to pass his/her exams but ends up devastated without no tangible cause. Jamb you know what you are doing to us, but GOD never ever let’s His children down. Even in my dream I would not believe I would ever score 192 this year, it almost knocked me down but GOD was with me all through.. Thank you jamb.

  3. I read so hard that my parent started complainin,in nva xpected 172,bkos i cross checked my answers wit my txtbook and evrytn was correct,then hw kome this score,i think this dibu jst deliberately failed ppt student so dat, pple will write cbt next year,even if there was a leakage are we to b blamed or d jamb officials,in jamb shuld b scraped for gud

    • I cant believe this..why innocent student will be suffering frm this ……….answer liking out .i cant believe this i score 270 last year and did it my self then. This year 199 unbilievable i did it myself without changing of any type…….God they shaaaa…..jamb official just plan to fail us this year …….God is watching everyones deeds. good or bad there is reward for everything

  4. I cant believe this..why innocent student will be suffering frm this ……….answer liking out .i cant believe this i score 270 last year and did it my self then. This year 199 unbilievable i did it myself without changing of any type…….God they shaaaa…..jamb official just plan to fail us this year …….God is watching everyones deeds. good or bad there is reward for everything

  5. If only Dibu knew wat i sacrificed 4 dis jamb, he wud hv scored me 400 whole heartedly, bt he doesn’t knw nd dats y he cud com awt nd say dat students didn’t study.. He said one cud apply 4 remarkin bt at wat cost, #100,000. Whr on earth wil most people gt d moni.. I dnt hv mch to say xcept dat i knw dat even if i woke up 2day nd was called 2 write jamb dat am nt gonna score less dan 300, bt wat did i c, 203. Hw on earth z dat possible?, wat r d ques dy set kwan dat i wud fail lyk dis?.. Dibu, only God wil judge u!

  6. @jamb oficials, y r u guys doin dz 2 us? Wud nigeria eva grow wn dia youth cnt evn enta skul. Luk at america dy dnt pas tru dz frustration b4 dy enta higha unlyk us. Plz do smtn dnt let d inocnt sufa 4 wt dy do nt knw. May God help us amen

  7. i am benedicta osobah,he did mine last year so don’t go else where,
    please where ever you are now looking for how to upgrade Your JAMB Result or looking for a special centre to write your exams and make good grades just email His secretary like now.
    E:[email protected]
    OR
    CALL DIRECTOR:+2348078366264.
    {HON CHIGOZIE OMAH.}