The Joint Admissions & Matriculation Board (JAMB) has applauded the ICT infrastructure at the American University of Nigeria for administering stress-free Computer Based Tests (CBT) for candidates seeking admission into universities in Nigeria.
JAMB’s Zonal Coordinator, Mr. Buba I. Gashua, said during last week’s CBT exams that the University’s facilities at its African Center for ICT Innovation & Training (AICT), in Yola and Jimeta, fully met the expectations of the national examination body.
The coordinator confirmed the initial submission of the JAMB accreditation team from Abuja which rated the AUN Center as excellent.
“We discovered that they [AUN-ACIT] had quality facilities, enough to accommodate candidates that we need to examine in this center…and the examination is being conducted in an atmosphere that is conducive and candidates are not experiencing any technical hitches because all of the systems deployed at the center are working perfectly.”
“This year, we are lucky to have this AUN Center with the machines on ground, and the networking systems working to specification. It’s the perfect exam setting,” Mr. Gashua said. The AUN-ACIT hosted six sessions of the JAMB CBT exam which began on Saturday, May 17 and ended on Friday, May 23.
Looking forward to next year’s exercise, the Zonal Coordinator was optimistic that AUN authorities would consider JAMB’s request to expand the facilities at the ACIT. “I want to appeal to the Center to expand its facilities, because by next year we will have more candidates to write this examination here.
We hope that this partnership with the AUN will continue for the benefit of JAMB and Adamawa people. AUN has promised deploying more computers and expanding the center.” said the CBT was now an annual feature in JAMB exams. “We believe that this method of testing is the best, and I am calling upon parents, candidates, and all education stake holders to rally round JAMB, and give us support.”
The Zonal Coordinator also applauded the University’s free IT training for at-risk youths in the surrounding communities, from which over 2,000 have already benefited, and advised on ways that it could be more effective. “AUN should extend it to all secondary schools. ACIT should extend the Computerize-Yola-Jimeta campaign to all secondary schools in the state, and aim at state-wide computer literacy.”
AUN also organizes free JAMB/WAEC/NECO tutorials for candidates from neighboring communities, a scheme which aims to boost young people’s confidence in such examinations and reduce the incidence of failure.
On the first day, ninety of the 100 candidates originally booked for the exams at the ACIT turned up. At 7am, they had their biometrics captured without hitches by JAMB officials.
Candidates interviewed were impressed by the quality of facilities. “It’s AUN, and anything that has to do with AUN is obviously exceptional, so I wasn’t surprised when I saw the facilities. They were wonderful of course, and it wasn’t below my expectation at all,” said Ms. Sekina Baba, a candidate. Another candidate, Mr. Ibrahim Halilu, said, “The facilities are very excellent, I think they are better than most of the ones we have in other schools or centers.”
Ms. Adaeze Ibeh also spoke about the facilities. “This place is equipped with facilities like air Conditioners, modern desktops, and the exams just flowed well,” said Ms. Ibeh. “It was awesome, there was nothing like exam malpractice.”
AUN authorities announced that they were hosting the exam in their facilities free of charge as part of their contribution to youth education and community development throughout Adamawa State and the North East. AUN’s Chief Information Officer, Mr. Julius Ayuk Tabe, explained.
