JAMB to start computer-based test in 2015

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board is set to end its paper and pencil based examinations by 2015.

Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i, stated this at the inauguration of the board’s computer-based testing in Abuja, on Thursday.

Rufai expressed the hope that in the next three years, all JAMB’s conducted examinations would be computer based.

She said, “This is an effort by JAMB to ensure that we have computer-based testing. The computer based testing has many advantages which includes the elimination of examination malpractice.

“It is our hope that by 2015, all JAMB examinations will be computer-based and students will have their scores instantly.”

Earlier, the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, said the board would construct five testing centres with 150 terminals in five states in 2013.

According to him, candidates will, for now, have the option of using either the paper-pencil or the e-testing option or both for all JAMB-related examinations.

On the recent pilot test carried out with 600 students in Abuja, Ojerinde said it was a testimony to the viability of the e-testing in line with global best practices for such examinations.

He said, “The e-testing option which we have test run and found effective has many advantages.

“It ensures prompt delivery of raw scores; it eliminates cases of incomplete results; eliminates result blackout and checks examination malpractice.”

Currently, Universities Tertiary Matriculation Examinations conducted by JAMB are manually assessed.

Candidates are subjected to a written multiple choice test and they are provided with special answer sheets and HB pencils. The questions are also manually marked.