From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB) has concluded plans to install closed circuit cameras (CCTV) at all computer-based test (CBT) examination centres for the 2017 edition of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The reason, according to the board, is to monitor candidates that might attempt to engage in examination malpractices.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who disclosed this in Abuja, insisted that the measure had become necessary to strengthen public examinations, particularly at entry level into higher institutions.
Oloyede said that writing CBT exams under the coverage of CCTV has been the practice all over the world, particularly where such is used for entry level examinations into higher institutions.
“I am not aware of anywhere in the world where CBT examination is conducted without CCTV, because even if a candidate is not caught during the exam, he or she will be fished out after the exam, when the CCTV footages are subjected to forensic analysis,” he said.
He thus encouraged every accredited CBT centre for the 2017 UTME to install the device, in accordance with specifications, or risk the withdrawal of accreditation.
The JAMB helmsman also stated that the board was yet to commence the sale of forms due to certain reasons, warning parents and candidates to be wary of fraudsters who might try to hoodwink them.
He added: “We will meet with heads of other examination bodies, NECO, WAEC and NABTEB, next week to determine the appropriate time frame to conduct the exams so that our period don’t clash with theirs.”
“Similarly, we don’t want to conduct our exam at a time when students are not ready because that might be disastrous. JAMB don’t conduct achievement examination but a ranking examination, and that was why we kicked against the extension of its validity.