I admit this post might have been more useful before the UTME examinations. But i do think it may still be important to some people who require more info on how it is done.

The UTME result sheets are called document forms (or just forms). They are specially printed precision papers with dark vertical boxes on one edge and lots of blank boxes to be shaded in by candidates. The shaded forms are taken after the exams to large OMR readers (Click here to know more about OMR readers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_mark_recognition) Which scan the forms at the rate of 1 to 5 seconds per form.

The OMR readers compare a preprogrammed darkness with that in the shaded box. If the shaded box mark darkness is greater than or equal to the programmed data, it is recognized as valid and interpreted. Based on the interpretation, the shaded box is translated as 0-9 or A-Z for alphanumeric boxes. For answer options it is translated to the specific option chosen; A-E. If the option matches the one in the program, 1 or 2 marks are awarded and zero awarded for a wrong answer. Now all this process takes just approximately 5 seconds max per form.

After all the forms have been scanned, it is fairly checked for integrity; 1% of the candidates forms are randomly selected, manually graded and checked with the OMR marked results to check for mistakes. This may also be done by randomly feeding checker forms during the marking process and subsequently checking to see if they were correctly graded. The checked results are then handed to the database admins who then process and upload it all in less than 12 hours into the master database. After the JAMB approval meeting ratifies the result, the online database is updated from the master database then activated to receive checking requests.

JAMB most times out of a sense of responsibility, analyzes the rejected results, especially for those with wrong exam Nos (Note incomplete exam Nos are difficult to rectify especially if there is more than 1 candidate affected for an exam venue), multiple shading, etc to assist such sloppy candidates. This accounts for some results being released after a month or two after results were first released. Results update may also be done where it is discovered the OMR reader was wrongly programmed or the data admins made mistakes during processing and upload.

The above operating procedure is basically similar to what WAEC, NECO and some universities post UTME exams currently use. I believe JAMB has the capacity to grade up to 3 million forms in 3 days.

Common problems associated with JAMB results are enumerated below:

1. Multiple shading is a major cause of failure for most candidates. Bear in mind that the machine compares dark shadings in the boxes. If u correct an error witout completely rubbing off the dark pencil marks, the OMR reader rejects it. Also if you use a light pencil instead of the recomended one, the OMR reader will be unable to recognize it and grade u accordingly. Most students are usually unaware that somehow, maybe due to exam stress, even the brightest of them can be victims of multiple shading.

2. Wrong shading of jamb Nos will get ur results allocated to the person who has the JAMB No u incorrectly shaded. Even if the data admins were able to detect multiple results for the person whose No you incorrectly shaded, they are still unable to detect who you are to assign the result to you. This mistakes accounts for situations where some claim they wrote nothing in some subjects but still received marks. [s]Most students are usually unaware that somehow, maybe due to exam stress, even the brightest of them can be victims of multiple shading.[/s]

3. The vertical black boxes at the edge of the result form is very very important. If it is torn or damaged in any way promptly request another new result sheet. If it is damaged in any way the OMR reader will be unable to grade your form. The black Box marks guides the OMR scanner when it scans ur form.

4. Always request for the correct result form for your exam question paper. The OMR reader cares not if u were given result forms for combination A instead of combination C that appears on your exam question paper. It will mark your results against existing data for combination A, resulting in failure for you.

Why is the question in ''politics section'' and the answer is in ''education section'' ? Huh ?

Thank you! Time well spent. This will enlighten intending JAMB candidate.

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The Arbiter: Common problems associated with JAMB results are enumerated below:

1. Multiple shading is a major cause of failure for most candidates. Bear in mind that the machine compares dark shadings in the boxes. If u correct an error witout completely rubbing off the dark pencil marks, the OMR reader rejects it. Also if you use a light pencil instead of the recomended one, the OMR reader will be unable to recognize it and grade u accordingly.

2. Wrong shading of jamb Nos will get ur results allocated to the person who has the JAMB No u incorrectly shaded. Even if the data admins were able to detect multiple results for the person whose No you incorrectly shaded, they are still unable to detect who you are to assign the result to you. This mistakes accounts for situations where some claim they wrote nothing in some subjects but still received marks. Most students are usually unaware that somehow, mabe due to exam stress, even the brightest of them can be victims of multiple shading.

3. The vertical black boxes at the edge of the result form is very very important. If it is torn or damaged in any way promptly request another new result sheet. If it is damaged in any way the OMR reader will be unable to grade your form. The black Box marks guides the OMR scanner when it scans ur form.

4. Always request for the correct result form for your exam question paper. The OMR reader cares not if u were given result forms for combination A instead of combination C that appears on your exam question paper. It will mark your results against existing data for combination A, resulting in failure for you.

Tanx alot 4 d info

tchaik: Nice one
But is there no cheat? Come on, this is a computer programme right? There must be a way to circumvent it.
That is what we want to hear.

9c question,there mst b a way to cheat,pls anybody here who can ans dis?

What if ur shadings aint dark enough yet U used the recommended pencil. . (HB), How does the OMR recognises and grades such?
Thanks.

tchaik: Nice one
But is there no cheat? Come on, this is a computer programme right? There must be a way to circumvent it.
That is what we want to hear.

laffssssssssss.

@coded777

As long as u use the recommended pencil and shade inside the option boxes provided the OMR reader will recognize it. The machine is programmed to recognize HB pencil dark markings. The paper used is special, it highlights the markings. A little unintentional mark, even a scratch is picked up by the machine.

A problem with the OMR machine (which is not due to it) is not be able to detect marks but being so good at it that multiple marks(by candidates making corrections) are easily detected (despited being erased) and scored zero by it.

Jamb

IF IT CAN DETECT A SCRATCH, IT MEANS IF YOU SHADE THE WRONG ANSWER, AND LATER ERASE IT AND SHADE THE CORRECT 1, IF THE ERASER DOES NOT TOTALLY ERASE THE PREVIOSLY SHADED ANSWER, IT MEANS THE OMR WILL MARK THAT NUMBER WRONG RIGHT?

viccipedia: IF IT CAN DETECT A SCRATCH, IT MEANS IF YOU SHADE THE WRONG ANSWER, AND LATER ERASE IT AND SHADE THE CORRECT 1, IF THE ERASER DOES NOT TOTALLY ERASE THE PREVIOSLY SHADED ANSWER, IT MEANS THE OMR WILL MARK THAT NUMBER WRONG RIGHT?

CORRECT. That is why most answer forms are full of warnings and notices that you shade the correct answer only and that u completely erase faulty answers completely.

Note that the machine can be configured to recognize only very dark shadings (It can actually be configured to recognize shades of grey to black), but if this is done people like coded777 above will have problems of ungraded results.

The machine is programmed to recognize HB pencil dark markings. The paper used is special, it highlights the markings. A little unintentional mark, even a scratch is picked up by the machine.[img]http://www.filii.info/g.gif[/img]

Thanks dude for the info

~Bluetooth:

Why is the question in ''politics section'' and the answer is in ''education section'' ? Huh ?

Hmmm!!!

Dat OMR is a very badt guy oo. This means that guys must try and avoid mistakes as much as possible. But this cant be my problem cos i didnt erase more than 2 answers.

Best thread I've seen in a while. Nigerians need more OPs to explain things the average joe doesn't understand due to inability of access to information.

Thanks OP. Aldo I wrote my jamb years ago, your info wud prove very useful when I advice potential jamb candidates around me.

Informative. Well done OP

Thanks 4 Info @Op

@tchaik

I shall have to disappoint u because I honestly dont have a clue. That aside, i strongly disaprove of cheating in any form. Normally, i would have ignored posting a reply but decided to post this in case any1 has a similar idea to yours.

Try not to be offended. My reply is not meant to slight u.

Regards.

The Arbiter: @tchaik

I shall have to disappoint u because I honestly dont have a clue. That aside, i strongly disaprove of cheating in any form. Normally, i would have ignored posting a reply but decided to post this in case any1 has a similar idea to yours.

Try not to be offended. My reply is not meant to slight u.

Regards.

Impressed, wish half of Nigerians are like you. All the best and please keep it up; dnt change ur principle no matter what.

The Arbiter: @tchaik

I shall have to disappoint u because I honestly dont have a clue. That aside, i strongly disaprove of cheating in any form. Normally, i would have ignored posting a reply but decided to post this in case any1 has a similar idea to yours.

Try not to be offended. My reply is not meant to slight u.

Regards.

Your post is meant to educate Nairalanders of the UTME result processing and the common mistakes candidates make and not to announce loopholes in the system. I for one am guilty of some of those issues in my time but thankfully enough i still had enough score to get admitted. Please ignore the unrepentantly insane nairalanders who are requesting for a "backdoor" to this process.

Nice work by the way.

The Arbiter: I admit this post might have been more useful before the UTME examinations. But i do think it may still be important to some people who require more info on how it is done.

The UTME result sheets are called document forms (or just forms). They are specially printed precision papers with dark vertical boxes on one edge and lots of blank boxes to be shaded in by candidates. The shaded forms are taken after the exams to large OMR readers (Click here to know more about OMR readers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_mark_recognition) Which scan the forms at the rate of 1 to 5 seconds per form.

The OMR readers compare a preprogrammed darkness with that in the shaded box. If the shaded box mark darkness is greater than or equal to the programmed data, it is recognized as valid and interpreted. Based on the interpretation, the shaded box is translated as 0-9 or A-Z for alphanumeric boxes. For answer options it is translated to the specific option chosen; A-E. If the option matches the one in the program, 1 or 2 marks are awarded and zero awarded for a wrong answer. Now all this process takes just approximately 5 seconds max per form.
After all the forms have been scanned, it is fairly checked for integrity; 1% of the candidates forms are randomly selected, manually graded and checked with the OMR marked results to check for mistakes. This may also be done by randomly feeding checker forms during the marking process and subsequently checking to see if they were correctly graded. The checked results are then handed to the database admins who then process and upload it all in less than 12 hours into the master database. After the JAMB approval meeting ratifies the result, the online database is updated from the master database then activated to receive checking requests.

JAMB most times out of a sense of responsibility, analyzes the rejected results, especially for those with wrong exam Nos (Note incomplete exam Nos are difficult to rectify especially if there is more than 1 candidate affected for an exam venue), multiple shading, etc to assist such sloppy candidates. This accounts for some results being released after a month or two after results were first released. Results update may also be done where it is discovered the OMR reader was wrongly programmed or the data admins made mistakes during processing and upload.

The above operating procedure is basically similar to what WAEC, NECO and some universities post UTME exams currently use. I believe JAMB has the capacity to grade up to 3 million forms in 3 days.

MR ALBERTA....i wld u explain this 4 for my brillant cousin a girl that has since in is secondary sch life she has never fail once and she has been wininig awards frm ss1 -sss3 b4 she nw apply 4 jamb...to cut the story long.
she was tested with past Q to solve and she got ENG=90,MTH=90,PHY=100,CHEM=100, in diff occassion from past Q 1998 till 2010 she was tested with prompt timer....so hw can u pls explain why so called CALL JAMB could gv her this mark..ENG=36,MATH=38,PHY=36,CHM=36.....148.......is there any way 1 can get is original answer sheet to know wht exactly she score bc that is not original score ..jamb most be playing sheat..pls explain better

@alarm4

I dont work with or for JAMB so i cant tell u how to get ur cousins result form. Why not go to any JAMB office and ask.

As regards her performance, its a relative thing. Maybe she was a local champion (4give the nuance), she's now in the big league. Many brilliant students have wrote JAMB only to be shocked at the results they get. One thing i do know is dat JAMB questions are trickish. Also consider what i said about multiple shading. If u now add exam stress (Which occurs only mainly during exams and rarely during mock tests) to it, i believe most students performance can be explained.

P.S.: Exam stress is a term for the psychological state in which some students freeze, have stomach upset, bladder discomfort , sweat, shiver or shake, go cold or hot and are basically unable to think clearly or even answer d exam questions. It rarely happens outside a real exam environment. It has been attribute to the fear of failure. It usually happens when d first few questions students see are unknown to dem or difficult.

Funny funny ppl we've got here. jambites, see, judge and act!

The Arbiter:
2. Wrong shading of jamb Nos will get ur results allocated to the person who has the JAMB No u incorrectly shaded. Even if the data admins were able to detect multiple results for the person whose No you incorrectly shaded, they are still unable to detect who you are to assign the result to you.

super story. I did not shade any No. of mine as I was not required or told to do so. My Reg. No. Was boldly written on my answer sheet without any space/option for shading/to shade, so guy, wetin you day yarn?