Some candidates have encountered technical glitches while writing the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The 2024 UTME begins today, Friday, April 19 and it’s expected to end on April 29, 2024.
As the exams begin, candidates scheduled to sit the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination at Al-Mizyan Schools Computer Based Centre in Ikotun, Lagos State were unable to conduct the exams due to glitches.
Parents and guardians on the telephone on the development noted that the CBT centre gave excuses bordering on glitches with connection cables.
A parent who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation said after candidates waited for hours, the CBT centre operators advised that candidates reprint their examination slips with the hope that the examination would be rescheduled.
However, the parent noted that there was nothing of such.
“My son went to his centre to sit for the exam. He got there at 8 am. Even people from earlier sections assigned to the centre for the exam encountered the same. They gave the excuse that someone shook the wire (connection cable ) and they asked all candidates to go and reprint their slips. He reprinted his slip with no change of exam time, date or even centre.
“JAMBHQ students who were supposed to sit for CBT exams at Al-Miyzan Schools CBT Centre at Ikotun didn’t write their exams. The centre kept giving them excuses and they told students to go reprint the exam slips they did, and no change of date of exam centre has been effected all,” she said.
A sister to an affected candidate who also spoke on the condition of anonymity noted that the centre had faulty equipment and hence should not qualify as a CBT centre.
“The computers are not working properly. It shouldn’t be an accredited centre. Candidates for the first set (7 am) were not able to sit for the exam. The second set (9 am) is yet to sit the exam by 11. 30am,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Registrar of, JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has called on them to calm and not panic.
He assured the board would reschedule the examination for all those found to have encountered problem as a result of technical hitches.
Speaking after monitoring the exam in Kogo-Bwari, Abuja, Prof. Oloyede said so far the UTME had been going on smoothly as only one centre had been reported to have encountered issues.
He said:“We appeal to the public to understand this, some centres will fail. I have heard of only one centre that has failed today.
“By the end of today, I expect about 10 percent of the centres to have one problem or the other because we know the level of development in different parts of the country.
“We are not encouraging this, but when it happens, please do not disrupt others.
“It is important to note that when a session fails because of a problem, you cannot bring those candidates to do session two, they will have to step aside, and the headquarters will have to be contacted.
“The earliest time they can be scheduled will be after 4:30 p.m. so that those slated for sections two and three can write, and these candidates can now write for session four, and in some cases, they can even be scheduled for the following day.”