Sequel to series of reports of difficulties encountered by prospective candidates in the registration processes for this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and the Direct Entry (DE) programmes, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced a two-week extension of the deadline for registration.
The examination body said the date for the commencement of the main examination has been rescheduled from the previous dates of between June 5 and June 19, to between June 19 and July 3.
Also, the mock examination, earlier scheduled for May 20, would now be moved to June 3.
The closing date for the registration exercise earlier scheduled for May 15, has now been shifted to May 29.
JAMB announced the changes in the examination schedules in a communique read by its registrar, Is-haq Oloyede, at the end of a meeting held last Friday and Saturday in Abuja.
Oloyede said the decision to extend the registration period and examination schedule was taken to afford prospective candidates more time to complete their registration.
Part of the communique read: “Desirous of affording prospective candidates more time to complete their registration for the 2021 UTME/DE, which was expected to end on Saturday, May 15, 2021, stakeholders recommended a two-week extension for registration, to now end on May 29, 2021.
“The extension is contingent upon stakeholders’ firm commitment to deliver on their respective responsibilities.
“Accordingly, the 2021 Mock UTME earlier scheduled for 20th May, 2021 will now hold on June 3, 2021, while the main UTME will hold from June 19 to July 3, 2021.
“JAMB will dispatch monitoring teams to all States of the Federation and the FCT during the extension period.”
JAMB directed computer-based test centres (CBT) to stop selling ePINs, warning that flouting the directive would attract ‘appropriate sanctions’.
The board said “no CBT centre should collect money for ePIN and registration fees simultaneously”, adding that registration centres should not collect registration fees until the completion of registration.
On group registration for candidates, JAMB declared the practice illegal, threatening stiff sanctions against any CBT centre that violates the instruction.
“CBT centres are directed to open all twenty (20) allowable registration points to ease congestion at the centres,” the Board said.
Speculations about the possibility of the examination body adjusting the examination calendar earlier released by JAMB became rife last week after series of complaints by prospective candidates about difficulties encountered in the course of registration.
In acknowledging the challenges, JAMB blamed the problems on the requirement for the mandatory use of the unique national identification number (NIN) by prospective candidates in their registration.
As a result of the challenges, Oloyede said only 1,134,424 candidates, comprising both UTME and DE candidates, have so far been registered for the examination.
He said DE candidates should specify their category of admission when procuring their PINs.
“However, where a DE candidate mistakenly purchases an ePIN for UTME, the selling point is hereby directed to rectify the error by swapping the ePIN to DE at no further cost to the candidate.
“Digital Service Providers are encouraged to expand their facilities, including the provision of redundancy links.
“NIMC pledged to give priority attention to UTME/DE prospective candidates.
“All prospective candidates and other users who have not received a response from 55019 are requested to send their Tracking ID or NIN to nimc jamb2021@nimc.gov.ng. However, those who had obtained their NIN through unauthorised sources would have to go to NIMC office to resolve their challenges.
Oloyede said NIMC pledged to deploy special monitoring teams, and to sanction any NIMC agent found extorting candidates in the cause of enrolment.
