After the start of the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination on Friday, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has asked candidates who faced issues during the exam to stay calm as they will be given a new date for the exam.
The JAMB Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyode, who made the request while answering questions from reporters after observing the exam in Kogo-Bwari, Abuja, said the UTME had been going smoothly, with only one center having reported issues so far.
“We ask the public to understand this. Some centers will encounter problems. I have only heard of one center that had challenges today.
“By the end of today, I expect around 10 percent of the centers to experience some type of problem because we are aware of the varying levels of development in different parts of the country.
“We are not promoting this, but if it does happen, please do not disturb others. It is important to note that when a session fails due to a problem, those candidates cannot join the next session; they will have to wait, and the headquarters will need to be contacted.
“The earliest they can be rescheduled will be after 4:30 p.m. so that those scheduled for sessions two and three can take the exam, and these candidates can now take the exam for session four, and in some cases, they may even be scheduled for the following day,” he said.
Additionally, the JAMB boss said the exam body is not satisfied with awarding scholarships to UTME top-performing candidates solely based on the exam, as it would not consider other admission criteria.
“Yes, MTN and others are awarding scholarships to the highest scorers, but we have always discouraged them because scoring high in UTME doesn’t necessarily mean you are the best. Other factors will be taken into account; the quality of your O Level and post-UTME scores will be considered. If you are going to NDA, your physical exercise performance will be factored in before we can conclude that you are the best; why judge people prematurely?
“You may see someone saying their child scored 330, and in addition, had seven A1s. Is that not eligible? They might be eligible when ranking within your village but in the context of Nigeria, they might be 650 despite being brilliant to you,” he said.
The 2024 UTME is currently taking place across the country today and will continue tomorrow.
