The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has concluded the final phase of its automation process with the full digitisation of question authoring for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), an initiative that began over ten years ago.
The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed this at the University of Ibadan during a training programme for test developers on Tuesday.
Oloyede noted that the current phase represents the tenth and final stage of the initiative.
“We are here at the University of Ibadan to conduct the last round of our automation process. This phase focuses on automating the authoring of questions,” he said.
“Our authors can now set questions from their various locations without having to travel across the country,” he explained.
Oloyede added that the initiative would make the process simpler, more cost-effective and less tedious, while enhancing efficiency and maintaining security.
“Adequate checks and balances have been put in place to safeguard the integrity of the system,” he emphasised.
Addressing concerns regarding registration, Prof. Oloyede said the board had expanded its Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres from about 800 in 2025 to over 1,000 in 2026 to facilitate seamless registration and examination.
“As of this morning, we have registered approximately two million candidates, surpassing the number at this time last year. Pin vending ends tomorrow, and there will be no extension. Those who have obtained their pins are expected to complete their registration before the deadline,” he stated.
The registrar also warned candidates and parents against engaging in examination malpractice or seeking shortcuts, stressing that offenders would face strict consequences.
“There is no shortcut to education. We are monitoring the system closely, and those attempting to subvert it will be apprehended,” he warned.
Speaking on the impact of the automation, the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Akure, Prof. Adenike Oladeji, said the initiative would enhance quality assurance in universities.
She highlighted that universities rely heavily on JAMB’s screening process and that the improved credibility of the system would reduce the need for extensive post-UTME examinations.
Similarly, the Vice-Chancellor of Fountain University, Prof. Olayinka Kareem, described the initiative as a “brilliant step” that would reinforce confidence in the quality of candidates admitted into universities.
Prof. Kareem noted that digitisation would ensure proper documentation of test items and facilitate more effective evaluation of candidates’ performance.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the African School of Economics, Prof. Mahfuz Adedimeji, explained that the training aimed to equip test developers with the skills required to utilise the new digital platform.
He added that the innovation would improve efficiency and elevate the quality of questions set for the UTME.
The training brought together advisers, directors and test developers from universities, polytechnics, and secondary schools across the country.