The house of Representatives, yesterday, ordered the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), to return to the former pencil-paper method in conducting examinations for candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions.

The House said the alleged technical flaws recorded in the latest computer-based Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) had exposed JAMB’s lack of capacity to handle the computer-based tests.

In the alternative, the House ordered JAMB to “conduct both computer-based tests and pencil-paper examinations simultaneously for candidates to opt for anyone of their choice.”

liveschoolnews.com.ng grapevine gathered that the directive which was issued on Thursday, March 17 required that the Federal Ministry of Education prevailed on JAMB to revert to the former pencil-paper tests due to JAMB’s lack of capacity to handle the computer-based tests.



The lawmakers passed the resolution after Mr. Oghene Emma-Egoh moved a motion on the “conflicting” scores of candidates who took the examination.

He noted that besides the conflicting scores resulting from the technical flaws, it was obvious that many candidates could not pass the examination for the simple reason that they were not computer-literate.

Emma-Egoh, who expressed the fear that many of the students were not computer literate, also argued that the hopes of many intending students had been dashed due to the technical errors.

He said: “The House is worried that already, serious admission problem is rocking the nation because JAMB receives huge allocation from the Federal Government, they charge candidates all manner of fees and majority of the candidates do not gain admission because of the technical hitches of the CBT.”

He cited instances of conflicting scores which was occasioned by technical flaws. He said: “Foluke, the 17-year-old girl in Ejigbo-Lagos, scored an aggregate of 156 in the first result, while in the result that later came out, she had an aggregate of 196.”

Citing another instance, he said Ibrahim Shawulu from Kogi state who scored 399 out of 400, but in less than 24 hours another result surfaced reducing Shawulu’s score to 199.

Emma-Egoh also recalled many reported cases of computers malfunctioning, leading to outright shut down and jeopardising the admission chances of the candidates.

Meanwhile, JAMB in response to complaints of irregularities in the computer based tests has noted that the worst CBT is far better than the best paper and pencil test (PPT), stating that“ the era of candidates pouring acid on staff, bolting with question papers into the bush and all manners of unthinkable embarrassing acts were gone”.

Source: http://www.liveschoolnews.com.ng/reps-order-jamb-to-return-to-pencil-paper-tests/

better

Regression.

Their are many hitches in computer based exam for now pencil is best

THe online exam is not difficult to accomplish. But people in charge always give the job to someone that someone who knows someone from someone that was introduced to them , thereby depriving the capable hands.

Nepotism and corruption will not make it work.

Dats better. Kwarupt body

Prof. Dibu should go first.
He has over stayed in that office and is confused on what to do to alleviate the suffering of students in terms of seeking admission into higher institutions

The solution is finding a better test provider, not paper and pencil