UTME begins nationwide as 1.7m candidates sit for examination •JAMB tasks officials to adhere strictly to guidelines

No fewer than 1.7 million candidates are set to take part in the 2022 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) nationwide scheduled to run from May 6 to May 16.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) stated that the examination would be conducted for 1,761,338 candidates that successfully registered for the examination in 755 registered computer based centres.

The Head Media JAMB, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said in Abuja that the board had put in place all measures to ensure smooth conduct of the examination.

Fabian said that all candidates would be checked into the examination hall, using the Biometric Verification Machine (BVM), which is also a register of attendance in line with the Board’s policy.

He further said that the ban on prohibited items was still in force, hence called on candidates to be careful not to run foul of the law as necessary sanctions would be meted out to violators of JAMB’s code of conduct.

Benjamin identified banned items within the examination hall to include but not limited to flash drives, smart watches, calculators, recorders, mobile phones, spy reading glasses, jewellery, among others.

Meanwhile, JAMB on Friday tasked its officials to adhere strictly to its guidelines as the 2022 exercise begins for over 1.7 million candidates nationwide.

The board gave the directive in its Weekly Bulletin of the Office of the Registrar in Abuja.

It stated that biometric verification would be the only mode for admittance of candidates into the examination centre.

The board said strict adherence to this directive was required by all involved.

JAMB had reiterated that all candidates would be checked into the examination hall, using the Biometric Verification Machine (BVM) which would also serve as a register of attendance, in line with its policy.

It urged officials to ensure no candidate was kept waiting if he or she could not be verified, but to ensure such candidate was recaptured at the centre before leaving.

The board further stated that only genuine cases would be subsequently treated in cases of biometric hitch.

JAMB also urged its officials to ensure that all report forms provided for the exercise were accurately filled and completed.

It explained that the information gathered from the forms was expected to assist the board in “establishing happenings during the examination for reference purposes as well as serve as evidence for punitive measures.”

The board said it would continue to consult with critical stakeholders, including technical officers and Advisors, Resident Monitors, Supervisors and its eight monitoring groups, to deliver a hitch-free exercise.

NAN reports that the board’s exercise had since been scheduled to begin from Friday to May 16 in its 757 centres nationwide.

JAMB had also warned its candidates that the ban on prohibited items was still in force and necessary sanctions would be meted out to violators of its code of conduct.

“The list of the banned items within the examination hall include but not limited to flash drives, smart watches, calculators, recorders, mobile phones, spy reading glasses, jewelleries, among others,” JAMB said.