JAMB Candidates Have 2 Hours Instead Of 3 For 180 Questions

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, said a total of 180 questions will be administered for all subjects, while candidates will spend two hours, instead of three, to sit for the exams.

Oloyede, who spoke in Kaduna at a strategic planning retreat on monitoring, supervision and evaluation of 2017 UTME, noted that the changes to the UTME exams will be effective from 2017.

According to him, the reduction in hours was in line with international standards and best practices where candidates are required to sit for an examination such as UTME for not more than two hours.

JAMB examination on the Use of English previously had 100 questions but has now been compressed to 60 questions, while the other three subjects now has 40 questions each, making a total of 180 questions.

“We are going to reduce the duration of the examination for this year’s UTME. You cannot keep children of this age for three hours. For their age, the maximum time you can keep them is two hours.

“So, we are considering the reduction in the time they spend because once it is more than two hours, you can’t expect that they will retain their presence of mind.

The JAMB Registrar also announced that the Board has designed a system that will allow candidates to use only eight keys without the use of the mouse in order to ensure equity and level playing field for all candidates taking the UTME.

“All the candidates need to do is to press the letters A, B, C, D for responses (answer) to questions and keys: P = Previous question, N = Next question, S = Submit responses when candidate has finished examination R = Reverse (do not intend to go further to submit again).”

JAMB also said special privileges would be accorded to blind candidates in the UTME, including “the transportation and accommodation of every blind candidate and one guide.”