As the House of Representatives moved the
motion on the need for the Joint Admissions
and Matriculation Board, JAMB, to revert to
Paper Pencil Test, it is imperative as
stakeholders to recapitulate the pains and
gains of Computer Based Test, CBT and Paper
Pencil Test, PPT.
Between 1978 to 2012, JAMB had conducted
yearly, its national examinations on a single
Saturday using paper pencil. Thus, for 34 years,
the records were there for stakeholders to
cross-check the good, the bad and the ugly of
JAMB.
However, in 2013, the Professor Dibu Ojerinde’s
administration introduced the computer based
test, explaining that it will correct the
deficiency of the paper pencil test. Having
experimented the CBT for just four years, the
result is also out for all to see.
Paper examination
It would be recall that last Thursday, the
House of Representatives urged the Federal
Government to direct JAMB to suspend the
computer based 2016 Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination test.
The lawmaker while moving the motion said
there is need for JAMB to revert to the paper
examination until the board is ready to conduct
a hitch-free Computer Based Test (CBT). It
was reported that while some candidates were
getting conflicting scores in the 2016 JAMB,
others were complaining of malfunctioning
computers, double-option answers and sudden
short down of systems causing absurdities that
placed some candidates at a disadvantaged
position.
Curbing malpractice: However, before reverting
to the paper pencil test, some stakeholders
who are calling for patience with the Board,
urged Nigerians to consider the advantages
and disadvantages PPT and CBT.
In his reactions, Mr. Abayomi Moody, a retired
teacher who once taught at Federal
Government College, Lagos said, he has
experienced both PPT and CBT, as a teacher
and as a parent.
“When I took my son to write JAMB at Tolu
Complex in Ajegunle, about 5 years ago, it was
Herculean. We were there before seven but the
exams did not commence till about 10.
"While I waited for my son to finish I saw young
men outside sending answers as text
messages to students inside. I didn’t
understand what was going on at first, till
some of the students finished, came out and
were complaining to the men that the answers
were not correct or not for their type. It
shocked me.’’
He continued: “Now I have brought my twins
for CBT and I am most impressed that nothing
of that nature is taking place. The students are
on their own in there, left to rely on their
abilities.
‘’With this CBT, students will sit up and study
hard knowing that there would be no short cut
to success.’’
On his part, Dr. Shina Akintolure, an education
consultant, and lecturer at the Department of
Science and Technology Education, Lagos State
University said: “Before now, the pen and
paper was super,but in the last 10 to 12 years,
the rate of examination malpractice in Nigeria
has been on the increase, as such it is the
main reason why JAMB introduced CBT.’’
He, however, noted that the awareness
campaign of CBT is not enough because
students have not been well trained.
''If JAMB can go back to the drawing board
and get it right, I believe CBT will delve in the
right direction,'' he added.
Meanwhile, a specialist in Higher Education,
Science, Computer and Environmental
Education, Professor Peter Okebukola in his
submission said that the inertia to change is
part of life, adding that over time, human
systems adjust to change as the forces of
homeostasis kick in.
According to him, the CBT of UTME is a classic
example of this inertia, noting that in the he
last two weeks, public comments have
underlined the merits and demerits of the
innovation which the Ojerinde-led JAMB
recently introduced.
He, however, argued that Professor Dibu
Ojerinde and his staff should be commended for
the far-sighted innovation.
Far-sighted innovation
The former NUC Scribe said: “The demerits of a
full-scale CBT have been loudly canvassed to
include weak technological infrastructure to
support CBT on a large scale in Nigeria at this
time, and the low level of ICT literacy of
potential UTME candidates.
Irregular power supply: "Irregular power supply
is another important element in the arsenal of
people shooting down the idea of a full-blast
CBT. Coincidentally, the worsening state of
power supply met with the lament of President
Buhari during the just-concluded retreat of the
National Economic Council.”
According to him, in spite of these handicaps,
Nigerians need to be far-sighted in our
approach and pitch our position on a number of
emerging scenarios.
“We are training undergraduates for an ICT-
dominated 21st century, hence they should
encourage all those who wish to take
advantage of university education in Nigeria to
be prepared for such a world through improving
their computer-literacy skills before they obtain
the form for the UTME.
“The second scenario is that the Nigerian
university system has capacity for only about a
third of eligible candidates. It has more than
enough to absorb hence it makes intuitive
sense to select only the very best with ability
to take the selection examination via the
platform of a computer being a selection
criterion.
“The third scenario is that not less than half of
those who claim they cannot use the computer
during the CBT, use devices such as smart
phones and are fluent in the use of these
devices which require just a little tweaking to
upgrade their computer skills. They complain
when they score abysmally in the UTME and
find a scapegoat to blame- Ojerinde’s CBT.
“I queue up stoutly behind those who want the
CBT to stay. There are two key advantages of
not going back on the CBT mode of conducting
UTME.
Advantages
“First, it will catalyse the attainment of a higher
degree of computer literacy by potential
undergraduates of Nigerian universities.
“Secondly, it will reduce to the barest minimum,
cases of examination malpractice in the
conduct of the UTME.
“With all the glitches which popped up during
the conduct of the 2016 UTME, my
recommendation is for JAMB to regard the
deadline of 2016 for stopping the paper-and-
pencil mode of UTME as the “yellow card” and
set 2018 for the “red card” when there will not
be any form of paper-and-pencil testing.
“The two-year grace period will allow JAMB to
dot its “I”s and cross its “t”s. It will allow
JAMB to do an accurate census of centres that
can conduct near hitch-free CBT and clean up
all the bugs (errors) in the software for the
CBT delivery system.''
Title : PAINS, GAINS OF CBT, PPT IN JAMB
Description : As the House of Representatives moved the motion on the need for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, to revert to Paper P...