The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Friday commenced the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) resit for over 380,000 candidates across Lagos and the South East region. Candidates in both zones have expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the rescheduled examination.
In Lagos, a total of 206,610 candidates sat for the examination across 65 designated centres. According to reports, accreditation for the first session began as early as 6:30 a.m., with the actual examination starting shortly after. At the CBT centre in Ayobo, 218 candidates were expected, but 32 failed to appear for the morning session.
In the South East, 173,387 candidates were scheduled to take the resit across 93 centres. In Imo State, the examination was conducted in four batches across the three senatorial districts—Orlu, Okigwe, and Owerri. At the Mater Ecclesiae Seminary in Nguru, Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area, the first batch started at 6:00 a.m., followed by the second at 9:00 a.m., with subsequent batches following thereafter.
Despite the timely start, some candidates encountered technical issues. At several centres, including the Switch JAMB Professional Test Centre in Owerri and Galaxy ICT and Educational Services in Mbaitolu, candidates reported system malfunctions such as frozen screens, shutdowns, and faulty input devices. One candidate at the Galaxy ICT centre lamented that due to technical glitches, they were left with only about 20 minutes to complete the Mathematics paper. However, JAMB officials on ground were quick to intervene, allowing the sessions to continue as scheduled.
In Anambra State, candidates expressed confidence in achieving better results this time around. At IDK and Grafile centres in Awka, the exercise was observed to be peaceful and well-coordinated, with security personnel ensuring order. Many candidates said the apology issued by the JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, had reassured them and restored confidence in the board.
In Abia State, the resit examination was generally described as smoother and more organised. At a centre in Umudike, Chioma Marvelous Nnamdi said the process was seamless and the questions were easier to answer compared to the initial exam. She expressed gratitude to JAMB for addressing the earlier issues, particularly inconsistencies in answer options.
Another candidate, Chinonso Ezekiel, commended the improvements and stated that previously encountered issues like incomplete questions and insufficient time were better managed this time. According to him, faulty computers were replaced promptly, and the questions were more straightforward.
A staff member at the E-Test Centre in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, who spoke anonymously, noted that the earlier technical issues were not the fault of the centre but of the system. He confirmed that extra measures were taken to ensure a hitch-free process this time.
Overall, despite isolated challenges, the conduct of the UTME resit in Lagos and the South East has been met with optimism, as candidates expressed relief and hope for better outcomes.
