The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has postponed the mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), scheduled to take place on Saturday April 8.
The examination, which was scheduled to hold in some selected accredited centres across the country was shifted at the last minute, thus infuriating the candidates.
The mock examination, which is not compulsory, was designed to acquaint prospective candidates on the demands of the examination and its processes, using the Computer Based Testing (CBT) mode.
A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who went out to monitor the examination in parts of Lagos, reports that candidates reported to their respective centres as early as 5.00 a.m.
At one of the centres in Ikeja, candidates waited patiently till about 2.00 p.m. for the examination to start.
NAN reports that when an official of JAMB at the centre was approached, to know why the examination was delayed, he said that he was experiencing network problems.
“Not long after that, the official, who pleaded anonymity, told NAN that information reaching him said that the examination had been postponed nationwide,’’ the officer said.
He added that the postponement was due to “some unforeseen circumstances’’ and that a new date would be communicated to the prospective candidates.
The official, however said that JAMB regretted the development and pleaded for understanding.
The information was later communicated to the candidates, who expressed disappointment as they left the venue.
One of the candidates told NAN that he hoped JAMB would avoid the hitch during the examination proper.
“Imagine what just happened; we have been waiting here as early as 6.00 a.m. only for us to be informed that the examination will no longer hold.
“I feel disappointed even though it is a trial examination, but at the same time, it is an eye opener for the organisers to be on their toes, get it right before May 6,’’ the candidate said.
Another candidate, Samuel Joel, called on JAMB to do the needful in order to allay the fears that the development might have raised.
Joel said that the country had come a long way to be having such challenges.
“I do not really know the main reason for the postponement of the mock examination, but I just think that somewhere somehow, things did not just turn out fine.
“I am not happy going home now without doing the examination after waiting for about eight hours.
“Whatever it is that was responsible for the problem should be tackled as quickly as possible to regain our confidence ,’’ he pleaded.
