3 things candidates should know as JAMB set for 2019 UTME

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board has announced its readiness for the 2019 Unified Tertiary and Matriculation Examination.

The 2019 edition of the exam might be different from the previous ones as the exam body Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede said JAMB will not repeat the mistakes it made during the 2018 UTME.

He said, “I can assure you that we are fine-tuning and learning from our mistakes last year. We are perfecting the processes and procedures, ensuring that no one is allowed to have undue advantage over the others.''

Having said that, it seems JAMB might introduce another set of rules to further standardise the conduct of the 2019 UTME.

However, from the statements of the exam body's Registrar, here are some of the things admission seeking candidates need to know.

1. JAMB registration fee

Despite the call from some quarters on JAMB to reduce the registration fee, the Board Registrar has maintained that the fee would not be reduced

“Why are they not asking WAEC (to reduce fee)? Why are they not asking NECO? Why are they not asking NABTEB? Why JAMB? We charge the least and you are saying reduce''. Oloyede questioned why people are calling for the reduction of the fee.

2. Students in SS1 might be disqualified from participating in the exam

The numbers of candidates for the 2019 UTME might not be as much as that of the 2018 edition as JAMB plans to reduce the numbers.

When asked about how many candidates are expected to participate in the upcoming exam, Oloyede said, ''it is difficult to say the exact number of applicants we are expecting this time. We expect to crash the number because many of those who are taking the forms are not even prepared or qualified for the exam.

“Some are SS1 students, who are just trying; contributing N5,000 unduly to our purse. We are putting in place some checks to make people who want to apply to be minimally qualified.

3. 2019 UTME form sales will start by October

JAMB Registrar also said that the 2019 UTME form sales will start in the next few days.

ALSO READ: How to prepare for UTME

This, we started just about a month ago. We believe that by the end of October, we would then begin the 2019/2020 admission'' Oloyede said.