JAMB Registrar Pronounces Stringent Measures against Exam Cheats

Funmi Ogundare

The Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is’haq Oloyede, has appealed to owners of Computer Based Test (CBT) centres to help in exposing those that are bent on frustrating the efforts of the board towards conducting a successful 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME).

He also disclosed that the board has introduced new measures that would add to the integrity of the registration process and the conduct of the examination.

Oloyede, who made this known recently during a meeting with about 626 CBT owners in Lagos, said the board has learnt some lessons in the conduct of last year’s examination, adding that it discovered that some electronic devices such as pens and wristwatches were used to perpetrate examination malpractices and has decided to ban the use of such things this year.

He said the board also discovered that finger print capture and that some centres who he termed first class fraudsters, devise various methods of extorting candidates and their parents, adding that 72 of such centres across the country have been delisted from its list of centres for the examination.

“The operations of the CBT centres are becoming more complex than the ordinary, we have been infiltrated by some people who do not wish the nation well. Anybody organising syndicates for examination malpractices is not wishing the nation well. We found out that some people were collecting N1,000 from candidates at the gate for entrance fee, some of them were subletting access codes to cyber cafés and some even go to the extent of raping the candidates.

“We took serious action against such people last year, they will not participate in our activities. Some have been banned and some suspended. We are also going to introduce some detective measures to ensure that those who plan to cheat in the hall are frustrated.”

On the measures, the registrar said the board will not allow non-functional wireless CCTV cameras to be mounted, adding that all centres must submit their serial number forms which must be validated by the board.
“All networks should be powered by switches, not hub, centres are strongly advised to use IPS address rather than IP addressing, scanning of pictures will not be allowed, live pictures must be taken through USB cameras. This year every 100 points that we are going to give you must have dual screen. Any centre that does not open 10 points at any time will be deactivated. Last year, we had mock exam, this year, we are going to have mock registration.”

Oloyede noted that the board will not allow any other custom browser other than its own and that it must be installed on each of the 250 systems and an addition of 25 backup, which must be used before accreditation, this he said the board would make available.

“We are also bringing lens detectors to ensure that no signal is coming in or out of the examination halls. If one of the systems is not working, it is at the risk of the owner because no money will be paid and any centre where that happens will be delisted,” he said, adding that all cables must be trumped.
On the ePIN payment process by candidates, he said all transactions by CBT centres must be cashless and that they must open accounts with the board’s designated banks and other financial institutions.

“Candidates must send SMS with surnames first and middle names which should be a maximum of 38 characters to a designated short code of JAMB,” he said, adding that the board is planning to meet with its stakeholders on November 15 and the sale of forms will start before the end of the month.
“We expect students to download our apps, go to the website and download the syllabus and the brochure so that they can study what they want to do and minimise errors,” Oloyede stressed.