AGE BENCHMARK: ONLY 20% OF 2024 UTME CANDIDATES WILL GET ADMISSION INTO TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS — FG
controlled environment where they are in charge of their own affairs. So if they are too young, they won’t be able to manage properly. That accounts for some of the problems we are seeing in the universities.
“We are going to look at that. 18 is the entry age for university but you will see students, 15, and 16, going to the examination. It is not good for us. Parents should be encouraged not to push their wards, or children too much.”
The Minister commended the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for a seamless examination process, noting that the adoption of technology had helped in reducing the cases of examination practices.
“Right from screening to those who are here, the examination process is seamless. The environment is comfortable for students. That’s how it should be, especially the use of technology in our affairs and the educational system. It makes life easy for everybody and seamless.
“There are some instructions that will be pushed that even if you are just coming into contact with a computer for the first time, provided you have been using the handset or smartphone, that will properly guide you to have access.
“One of the major things I see here, which is a major characteristic of online exams, is the speed. The speed in the centre is really excellent; pages are turned as at when candidates need them without any delay of booting.
“Also in the exam, there are lots of steps to prevent examination malpractice, candidates that are adjacent will be taking different subjects and even when you are answering the same questions, question number one will be different from question number two from the next person.
“The standard of the examination is commendable. I am not surprised that JAMB has to go outside Nigeria to go to other countries to conduct exams, they were in Saudi Arabia and right now the exam is also going (on) in Saudi Arabia.
“I have not heard people complaining of answers leaked, it shows that with online exams we can do a lot.”