By IBUKUN EMIOLA

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Tuesday completed the final phase of its automation process with the digitisation of question authoring for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed this at the University of Ibadan during a training programme for test developers.

Oloyede said the board began automation of its examination processes about 10 years ago, noting that the current phase marked the tenth and final stage.

“We are here at the University of Ibadan to do the last round of our automation process.

“This phase is about automating the authoring of questions. Our authors can now set questions from their various locations without having to travel across the country,” he said.

According to him, the initiative will make the process easier, cheaper and less tedious, while improving efficiency and maintaining security.

Oloyede added that adequate checks and balances had been put in place to ensure the integrity of the system.

On registration concerns, the registrar said that the board had expanded its Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres from about 800 in 2025 to over 1,000 in 2026 to ensure seamless registration and examination.

“As of this morning, we have registered about two million candidates, surpassing the figure at this time last year.

“Pin vending ends tomorrow, Feb. 26 and there will be no extension. Those who have obtained their pins are expected to complete their registration before the deadline,” Oloyede said.

The registrar warned candidates and parents against engaging in examination malpractice or seeking shortcuts, stressing that the board would deal firmly with offenders.

“There is no shortcut to education. We are monitoring the system closely and those attempting to subvert it will be apprehended,” he said.

Also, the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology Akure, Prof. Adenike Oladeji, said the automation would enhance quality assurance in universities.

She noted that universities relied on JAMB’s screening process and that improved credibility would reduce the burden of conducting post-UTME examinations.

Similarly, the Vice-Chancellor of Fountain University, Prof. Olayinka Kareem, described the initiative as a brilliant step that would strengthen confidence in the quality of candidates admitted into universities.

Kareem said that the digitisation process would ensure proper documentation of test items and enable effective evaluation of candidates’ performance.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the African School of Economics, Prof. Mahfuz Adedimeji, said that the training was aimed at equipping test developers with the skills needed to deploy the new digital platform.

Adedimeji said the innovation would improve efficiency and enhance the quality of questions set for the UTME.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training brought together advisers, directors and test developers from universities, polytechnics and secondary schools across the country. (NAN)

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