During the current Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said that it had discovered more than 40 applicants engaging in test fraud and impersonation.
Professor Is-haq Oloyede, the JAMB Registrar, revealed this to journalists at the board’s headquarters on Monday.
The people are already in arrest and will face charges, he added.
JAMB has strengthened its security procedures for the Computer-Based Test (CBT) to prevent misconduct. These include the installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) in exam rooms and the use of biometrics for verification both during registration and prior to access.
The board also prohibited items such as mobile phones, smartwatches, and Bluetooth devices from the examination halls.
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The UTME is a nationwide examination conducted by JAMB as a prerequisite for gaining admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
It is one of the largest tests in the country, attracting over 1.9 million candidates annually. Over two million candidates registered for this year’s exercise.
Last year, the board briefly withheld the result of over 64,000 candidates while it investigated their involvement in malpractices.
The board, however, released some of the results after finding no infractions.
Meanwhile, Nigerians have raised concerns about candidates’ safety, travel distances, and the early examination schedule in this year’s exercise.
Some candidates going to sit for the UTME reportedly died in an accident along the Oyo-Ogbomoso road.
Another candidate was reported missing after she left her home in Ajah to Epe in Lagos State for her UTME. However, she was later found in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
The incidents have triggered criticism of JAMB’s posting system, with many Nigerians blaming the Board for assigning candidates to far-flung CBT centres and scheduling early exams.
The Board has, however, defended itself, noting it did not post any candidate outside of the town they chose during registration.
Speaking on Monday, Mr Oloyede said while the candidates’ examination slip carries 6:30 a.m as examination time, the actual examination only begins by 8 a.m.
He dismissed complaints about early arrival times, noting that it was necessary to screen candidates before exams begin.
“The first session is at 8 o’clock. The second session, 10.30. The third session is at 1 o’clock, while the fourth session is at 3.30. But every reasonable person will know that these children are young, and you need to let them know that they don’t get there at the point of 8 a.m. They have some preliminary things to do,” he said.
