Thursday, 30 March 2017

JAMB Cancels Computer Based Test For 8-Keys Device




Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).














The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has announced
its resolve to abolish Computer Based Test, CBT, method for Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination, UTME, due to low computer literacy level of candidates.

The board said it has in collaboration with a private institute resolved to set up
dedicated UTME centres for visually impaired candidates in Abuja,

Lagos and Kano in 2018.

Registrar of the board, Professor Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, disclosed
this in Kaduna on Wednesday, saying the board would not revert to the
 old paper and pencil mode, but an eight-keys device.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of Strategic Planning Retreat on
Monitoring and Supervision of 2017 UTME in Kaduna, Professor
Oloyede said the eight-keys device would eradicate the challenge of
computer illiteracy and phobia for mouse by some candidates.
According to him, “From the general feedback on the adoption of the
Computer Based Test mode, we have noted the challenge of computer low
 level literacy of some candidates, especially with the phobia for the mouse.
This has been responsible partly for the call by some people for reversal to
the Paper and Pencil Test mode.
“In order to ensure equity and level playground for all candidates taking
Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, the Board has designed a system
that will allow candidates use only eight keys without the use of mouse.
“All the candidates need to do is to press the letters A,B,C,D for responses to
questions and keys: P, N, S and R representing; previous question, next question,
 submit and reverse, respectively.”
Speaking on the new arrangements for the visually impaired candidates, the
 JAMB Registrar said, Digital Bridge Institute in partnership with the board
had agreed to set up three dedicated centres in Abuja, Lagos and Kano in 2018,
 adding that, the board will support the centres with necessary inputs.
He explained that ahead of 2018, when the project of dedicated centres would
come to fruition, the board has reached an understanding with the association
 for the blind persons in Nigeria and blind students in Lagos that an abridged
approach would be used for the 2017 UTME.
He added that all prospective blind candidates would be invited to three centres
 in the country for special assessment in their subjects of choice and relevance
 to their desired courses and programmes.
Professor Oloyede while addressing the participants, most of whom are external
Supervisors and other stakeholders drawn from various tertiary institutions
and education sector, said all concerned stakeholders must take UTME as their
own and make it a project.
The JAMB boss said, “It is not enough for Politically Exposed Persons (PEP)
to visit examination centres with sirens and large entourage of government
functionaries with very little impact to show for their participation, other than
to be under television camera lights and beamed same to the whole world, yet,
 the outcome of the examination is laced with stories of examination malpractice.
 This time around, the major players with requisite integrity, intelligence and
 appropriate knowledge of the assessment would be fully engaged to actively
participate in the supervision of the examination.”

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