Concerns over JAMB’s 2016 CBT exams

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) 2016 Computer Based Test (CBT) continues to generate complaints and unanswered questions from candidates and industry watchers who list infrastructure deficit, slow internet connection, the alleged addition of 40 extra ‘bonus’ marks, power outages during the examination and the distance candidates had to travel to their centres, as shortcomings.

This is in the backdrop of the larger challenge of the dearth of carrying capacity and poor quality of local tertiary institutions, as the fall in the value of the naira seems certain to hem in many who would have pursued further education abroad.

While 1.84 million candidates sat for the JAMB examination which started on February 27 and ended yesterday, Nigeria’s 141 universities and other tertiary institutions have an estimated carrying capacity of 250,000 undergrads annually.

In some centres in Imo State, candidates complained that the computers they were using shut down half way into the examination. Chiamaka Okoye, complained bitterly that when her computer shut down, she started all over but still could not complete the examination. She scored 219 marks and believes she would have done better, if not for the technical hitches.

In some centres, the power generating sets packed-up, leaving the candidates frustrated.

Some candidates report having allegedly received 40 extra marks. Miracle Okaifoh who was late to an examination centre in Ogun State, was not able to log-in for the exams. When the results were released, he initially got none. Prompted by friends, he rechecked and discovered he had received results for an examination he could not log-in to write, he claims.

Paul Ojewale, in Lagos, who scored 240 was furious he did not receive the alleged 40 extra marks and said he was going to JAMB’s office to complain. He said there were system failures which made him unable to complete the exams.

BusinessDay’s attempts to reach Adedibu Ojerinde, JAMB’s registrar via phone, did not bear fruit because the line was perpetually busy. However, the JAMB public relations officer who declined interview with BusinessDay, flatly said that JAMB did not add any extra marks to candidates, adding that JAMB would address the press on this allegation shortly.

Debo Adeyewa, vice-chancellor Redemeer’s University, speaking on the CBT said, “JAMB is on the right path, and is in fact 10 years behind time. This is the first total CBT by JAMB. There were technological deficits, power supply challenges, switches and router problems. These are not enough to deter JAMB’s effort. However, JAMB should move towards tried and tested infrastructure.”

Adeyewa added that, “on the infrastructure deficits and its attendant problems, JAMB owes the candidates apologies and should provide opportunity for those who had genuine problems to rewrite the exams. Rural areas are to be grouped into clusters to facilitate the process. Some level of patriotism is needed here and JAMB should not be pushed too hard”.

On how to accommodate some of the 1 million overflow of candidates, that the capacity of local universities cannot accommodate, Peter Okebukola, chairman , governing council, Crawford University and former executive secretary of the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) encapsulates the views of most experts.

Okebukola says: “One component is to embark on massive upgrading of physical facilities in existing universities to take in at least 1,000 additional students per year.  This will involve more classrooms, hostels, laboratories, workshops, library and offices”.

He further said, “staff recruitment should be undertaken in the quantity and quality to match the annual growth in student enrolment. Hence, with successful scaling of NUC due diligence on the expanded facilities and increased human resources, carrying capacity is increased to 1,000.

“ In ten years, a typical university would have added about 10,000 students to its baseline stock.”

He added, “in terms of cost per university, this option translates to an annual average of N1.6 billion for building, equipment and staffing. In ten years, each university will require at least N10.6 billion for the expansion project. The long and short of the story is that if we desire 10% annual increase in enrolment in the nation’s 141 public and private universities, we will require $1,494.6 billion (about N1.5 trillion) in ten years.

STEPHEN ONYEKWELU