TheCable

For the first time on Monday, March 9, 2015, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) held the total Computer-Based Test (CBT), with an estimated 1.4 million candidates expected to partake in the 10-day exercise.

When JAMB announced that it was phasing out the paper pencil test (PPT), which had been the norm for 37 years, many doubted its ability to handle the technicalities that might arise with the innovation.

But Dibu Ojerinde, JAMB registrar, said the body was prepared for the challenges ahead.

“We got some information as regards errors and now we have corrected those errors,” he said at a press conference where JAMB formally announced the decision to introduce full-fledged CBT.

“We are bound to have problems in any new enterprise and we will provide solution.”

But checks by TheCable revealed that the board has not truly lived up to expectation in terms of proffering solutions to the enormous challenges that arose in the first week of the exercise.

On Saturday when our correspondent visited Command Secondary School, Ipaja, Lagos, candidates were seen waiting around and sitting under trees instead of being in the examination halls.

Most of those who agreed to comment on the issue complained of irregularities.

Candidates at Command Secondary School, Ipaja

Margaret (surname withheld) a candidate, complained about the bad condition of the servers.

“I was supposed to write my exam yesterday but the server was down. Those that were to write at 6am and 10am yesterday couldn’t do so as a result of one problem or the other,” she said.

“Yesterday, they told all of us to write down our names and phone numbers and that we should return this morning.

“They said they were going to send text messages but they didn’t and they said we will write the exam after another three days.”

Another candidate, Nwangwu Amaka, was supposed to write her own papers by 6am, but she could not.

“We were supposed to write the exam yesterday by 6am yesterday but the server was down,” she said. “We were told to come back today by 6am but they opened the gate by 8am and we have been here since.”

Efforts to get the position of the JAMB official at the centre proved abortive, as she declined to speak. She later referred those who had issues to a centre at Agindingbi, Ikeja.

At Chams city, 2A Isaac John street Ikeja, the examinations had a little delay. However, some of the candidates were of the opinion that things were better, revealing that on previous occasions, the exercise was marred by server problems.

A candidate who pleaded anonymity expressed displeasure with the level of organisation.

“I received a message saying my centre had been changed, only for the same board to speak otherwise some hours later,” he said.

“Your centre has been changed from Stella Maris College to Chams City, Area 11, and your examination is rescheduled to 1pm on your exam day/date,” the first message read.

“Less than 24 hours, another message came read: ‘Please disregard any SMS received yesterday concerning change of exam centre. Thank you.”

Candidates awaiting their turn outside Top Ville School, Ikorodu

Muyiwa Ogundare, a candidate in Saki, a town in Oyo state, alleged that errors from the board affected his course registration.

“I initially registered for public admin, which meant I had to write economics, and I didn’t do economics in school, so I made a course switch to political science, which didn’t need economics,” he said.

“To my utmost surprise, economics was part of the questions the computer presented me. There was nothing I could do; I faced it. It affected me during the exams but I am hoping for the best.”

At Gregory University Uturu, Abia state, the examination process was marred by multiple problems of electricity and Internet access.

Akan Ekpah, who took his wife to the examination centre, shared his experience.

“My wife registered in Akwa Ibom, but she was posted to Abia state and the time scheduled for her was 6am, so my entire family left for Abia a day to the exam.

“We got to the exam centre at 6am on the day with the hope that by before 9:00am she would be through and we would return to Akwa Ibom but to my utmost surprise, the exams had not started by 10am.

“First it was the network that had issues. Now they are waiting for 3pm to put on their generator to continue with the exams. The 6am candidates finished some minutes after 4pm, leaving behind the other batches. The 10am batch was now billed to start by 5pm, it’s just so pathetic.”

However, at Top-Ville School, Isawo, Ikorodu, Lagos, there was slight improvement. The first batch of candidates started examination some minutes past 6am.

The second batch also sat for the examination at the scheduled time.

Many of the students said the process was smooth but complained of slight server hitches.

“The server of the school was somehow at least for me; the computer went off twice and I had to reboot it and re-enter my registration number. All these were time consuming,” a candidate said.

However, JAMB claimed to have, among other factors, introduced CBT to curb examination malpractice but the body still has a long way to go to achieve this.

A candidate said he preferred CBT to PPT because it allowed him escape what would ordinarily have attracted punishment.

“It was beautiful for me. I really love it and I even had to help my friend who had problem with mathematics,” he said.

“When the invigilators caught me, they couldn’t do anything because I already submitted; they can’t tear or deduct my score like they would have done during PPT era. I was only told to move out of the exam hall. I love CBT.”

Another candidate complained about the attitude of the invigilators. He alleged that candidates were made to stop before the appropriate time.

“It was good but I didn’t finish. The officials stopped everyone in my computer room at the same time,” she said.

“I still have 50 minutes left on my computer running but I had to stop.”

All efforts to speak with officials of JAMB also proved abortive, as they insisted that they have been authorised not to speak with the press and referred our correspondent to the headquarters of the body.

However, a mild drama ensued at Top Ville school, as the security personnel at the centre manhandled our reporter, alleging that he was impersonating despite presenting his identity card as a proof that he was on an assignment.

It took the intervention of some parents who accompanied their children to the centre for him to be released.

It is not all minus for JAMB, as the body said the results of some candidates were released hours after they sat for the examination.

According to Ojerinde 97,400 candidates who sat for the examination on the first day got their results through text messages.

But if the speed with which the results were released could also apply to the speed with which the exams were written, JAMB would gain the confidence of the many candidates who seem to have lost faith in the board.

Additional reports by Seyi Awojulugbe, Ibraheem Alawode and Omolara Odunlami