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.”
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