2024 MOCK EXAMINATION: A Testament Of Prioritization By Olarenwaju Apata

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On Thursday, 7th March, 2024, about 257,456 of the 260,124 candidates, who indicated interest in the Mock-UTME at the point of registration sat the preparatory test. The exercise was deemed a success as it was conducted with utmost professionalism. The exercise, which was held across all approved centres nationwide, delivered on the targets set by the Board for the Mock-UTME as well as also pointed out ways to improve the process towards the conduct of the main 2024 UTME scheduled to commence from Friday, 19th April, 2024.The Mock-UTME, which is widely acknowledged as a precursor and a standard practice of the Board towards the conduct of its main UTME, is aimed at giving the Board an accurate reading of its preparedness, the preparedness of its partners beyond documented assurances and the readiness of examination personnel trained for the sensitive task. It is also a means to give candidates a true reflection of their readiness while affording them the opportunity to  familiarise themselves with the ICT infrastructure, which is the fulcrum upon which the Board’s testing process revolves. Therefore, the successful conduct of the 2024 UTME exercise provided clarity on how to build on the successes of the previous years. Under the leadership of Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, the Board has effectively improved the testing process by harnessing relevant technology for efficient service delivery. In this regard, the Board has onboarded more than one tested and trusted examination engine to serve candidates across the different regions of the country. This provision of a competent alternative based on regional peculiarities and ICT needs have successfully provided the Board’s ICT infrastructure with the much-needed relief from the risk of   over-reliance. The innovative culture of JAMB has also birthed a testing process that is constantly evolving. The 2024 Mock also showcased the Board’s successful attempt to ensure real-time monitoring of all candidates assigned to each centre in the course of taking the examination. In other words, the Board can now get technology-driven real-time feedback with respect to candidates, who are actually present, absent, candidates, who could not be verified or centres that may not be able to accommodate all candidates present. This innovation is important for the fight against malpractice and disruptive acts of saboteurs, who are hell-bent on frustrating the efforts of the Board.It is worth mentioning that this commendable innovation is coming on the heels of the Board’s unique and timely resolution of the daunting logistics and psychological trauma for candidates, who needed to have their sessions rescheduled as a result of circumstances beyond the control of the Board in certain centres. It is against this backdrop that the Reschedule Option like the other innovations highlighted, is a testament to the Board’s conscious efforts towards elevating the quality of the UTME and it is also a testament to its attention to detail during the UTME exercise.Yet another worthy strategy towards ensuring the success of the 2024 Mock-UTME was the thoroughness of the training exercise for examination officials drafted for the sensitive task. In this regard, the feedback received from candidates, CBT centres, the media and other stakeholders of the Board on the competence of examination officials deployed by the Board has vastly helped the Board to assess the overall success of the annual UTME exercise. As a capable umpire in the nation’s admission value chain, the Board  embodies the future of Nigeria’s tertiary education hence, its integrity must not be compromised.