2023 UTME: We’ve examined 947,000 candidates in 2 days ― JAMB

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed that it has so far conducted examinations for about 947,000 candidates in the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) within the last two days.

The Board, however, disclosed that about 60,000 candidates out of the 947,000 who have so far sat for the examination, were affected by technical glitches, especially on the first day of the examination and have been rescheduled to fully participate in the exercise.

Head of Public Affairs and Protocol of the Board, Dr Fabian Benjamin, made this known after monitoring the ongoing UTME alongside Registrar of JAMB, Professor Is-haq Oloyede and others, on Thursday in Abuja.

He reassured Nigerians that everyone who registered for the examination would be given the opportunity to take part in the exercise, adding that the Board has resolved the technical hitches that were experienced on the first day of the UTME in some centres across the country.

Recall that more than 1.6 million registered for the 2023 UTME which commenced on April 25th and is expected to end on 3rd May.

The examination on the first day was marred by technical hitches but after its management meeting on Tuesday to review the exercise, directed all candidates who could not take the examination, because of the challenges, to print a new examination notification early morning, Wednesday, 26th April 2023, to know their new scheduled sessions.

Despite these initial hiccups, JAMB said the 2023 examination is one of the best examinations conducted by the Board over a period of time.

Benjamin said, “This is the best examination we have had over a period of time, but I know many will like to contest that because of what happened on Tuesday, but I know if you have been in the system and be following our exams, you will know that the first day is always turbulent, as we progress we stabilise and continue the exercise.

“And one assurance we want to give Nigerians is that every candidate that has registered for this examination, he or she will certainly be given the opportunity to take the examination.

“On the first day, there were candidates who were unable to sit for the examination because of technical issues and we have rescheduled those candidates, some of them are taking the exam as we speak and some will also take tomorrow.

“We urge candidates particularly those who could not sit for Wednesday’s exercise to continue to check their profile and print their slip as we reschedule them for the examination.”

On when the results of the examination would be released, Fabian said the management would announce the results soon.

“We are looking at the results and by the grace of God, we will release the first batch of the results soon,” he said.

Speaking on the number of candidates that have encountered technical issues, Fabian said: “In the last two days, excluding today, we have examined 947, 000 candidates. Out of the 947,000 candidates we had issues with about 60,000 candidates and these candidates are being rescheduled (for the exam).

“If you are to give a pass mark, out of 900,000, you had an issue with 60,000, it is a fair share, but that is not to say even if it is one candidate that is unable to sit for the exam we are not concerned,” Fabian said, even as he assured that all candidates will sit for the exam.