The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has begun preparations for the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), with plans to introduce innovations aimed at strengthening examination integrity.
JAMB registrar, Segun Aina, disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists during a five-kilometre health walk in Bwari, Abuja, on Saturday.
The exercise was organised to mobilise staff and signal the beginning of preparations for the 2027 examination.
Mr Aina said the walk was designed to energise staff, strengthen their commitment to service delivery and reassure prospective candidates and other stakeholders of the board’s readiness for the examination scheduled for March 2027.
He also said the board’s priority was to ensure that more candidates gained access to tertiary education in Nigeria through an efficient and credible admission process.
According to him, there are a lot of innovations coming up.
“Now we are running what we call a pre-registration mobile application that will enable prospective candidates to complete preliminary registration processes from the comfort of their homes.”
He explained that the application would allow candidates to retrieve their details from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), provide their biodata, and select preferred courses and institutions before visiting accredited JAMB registration centres for biometric capture.
The registrar added that the innovation would reduce waiting time and congestion at registration centres while making the registration process more convenient for candidates.
He also said that the application would provide candidates with advance advisory information, particularly on the previous year’s admission requirements and entry marks for their preferred courses.
“The information will guide candidates in making informed decisions when selecting courses and institutions, thereby reducing errors and unrealistic admission choices,” he said.
Mr Aina further said that the board would introduce a technical mechanism to prevent candidates from proceeding with their applications if they selected incorrect subject combinations for their intended courses.
According to him, the measure was intended to address challenges associated with candidates choosing subjects that did not align with the admission requirements of their preferred programmes.
“It means you cannot progress with your application if your subject combination is wrong.”
On examination security, the registrar said that the board would strengthen biometric verification during the 2027 UTME to protect the credibility and integrity of the examination.
He revealed that the board had made certain concessions to reduce the difficulties candidates experienced, particularly regarding changes to their biodata and other registration details.
He explained that the concessions would, however, be accompanied by enhanced biometric checks at examination centres to ensure that candidates’ identities were properly verified.
The registrar also announced plans to introduce a faulty-question reporting feature during the examination.
He said candidates who encountered questions they considered faulty would be able to flag them through a dedicated button on the examination interface.
“The information gathered through the feature will enable the board to investigate reported questions and ensure that candidates are assessed fairly.
“Candidates will also be given the opportunity to rate their experiences at Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres after completing their examinations,” he revealed.
Mr Aina described the centres as important private-sector partners that had supported the board for more than a decade, stressing that JAMB would continue to work with them while ensuring that they maintained the highest standards.
He added that the feedback mechanism would help the board assess the quality of services provided at the centres and identify areas requiring improvement.
He assured candidates and other stakeholders that additional information on the planned innovations would be communicated as preparations for the 2027 UTME progressed.
He charged members of staff to put all hands on deck and work assiduously towards delivering on the board’s mandate, while appreciating them for their contributions and efforts towards the achievement of set objectives.
(NAN)
