Due to technical difficulties, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has rescheduled the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) for some applicants at Christ Ambassadors College, Sabon Tasha, Kaduna Centre.

Many candidates were unable to sit for the examination at the center on Tuesday, prompting objections from some of the candidates and their parents.

According to a NAN journalist who observed the exercise on Wednesday, only 150 candidates took the exam in the first batch, and 100 each in the second and third batches.

This amounted to 350 candidates as opposed to the 750 predicted every day, with 250 candidates expected to take the exam per batch.

Francis Patrick, one of the candidates, told NAN that he was due to take the exam at 12 p.m. on April 25.

Patrick, on the other hand, stated that as of 12:00 PM, students who were due to write the exam at 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. were still writing because they did not begin on time.

“We also heard that some of the computers were logging some candidates out while they still had time remaining to finish the examination.

“I stayed till 6:00 PM and eventually could not write the examination. I came this morning only to be told some of us that could not write yesterday were asked to submit our examination slip.

“Now, I do not know what to do,” he fumed.

Another candidate, Veronica Isuwa, stated that she was due to take the exam at 9:00 a.m., but it was rescheduled until the next day.

Debora Eze, another candidate, told reporters that she was expected to take the exam by 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday but was told that the systems could only accommodate 100 people.

“They asked us to wait for further instructions, so we are waiting”, she said.

In response to the issue, Mrs Balkisu Abdullahi, the JAMB Supervisor at the center, told reporters that the server could not accept 250 PCs at once, as anticipated.

Candidates who missed the examination on the first and second days, according to Abdullahi, were requested to submit their examination slips so that JAMB could reschedule their exam to another day.

She apologized for the technical difficulties, saying that JAMB was working with the center management to resolve the issue, and she promised parents that no child will miss the exam.

She asked parents to guide their children and instill good principles in them, stating that bringing blades to examinations was inappropriate.

“The situation on Tuesday was terrifying as some of the candidates were wielding knives and threatening us when we were explaining the technical hitches and what we intended doing to remedy the situation.

“The parents did not also help the issue when rather than calming their children, some of them were shouting at the top of their voices, threatening to take legal action against JAMB,” she added.

Mrs Tosin Akinpeloye, the School Manager, said that the technological difficulties occurred because the JAMB server was modified to perform well with computers with Co i7 processors.

Akinpeloye stated that the school computer center contained 260 laptops and 20 desktop computers, all of which were powered by Co i5 processors, and that a server capable of housing all of the devices had been brought.

“I assure you that all the candidates that will write the examination on Thursday will do so without a hitch,” she said.

The situation was different at the Kaduna State University centre, where the JAMB Coordinator, Mr Benedict Opke, claimed the facilities were in great working order and the applicants were well behaved.

One of the candidates at the center, 15-year-old Favour Bamiboye, who aspires to be a doctor, claimed the exam went off without a hitch.

Similarly, some of the candidates who took the exam at Queen Amina College Centre praised JAMB and the school administration for a smooth process.

“This is the first time I am writing the UTME, and I am impressed because everything went smoothly,” one of the candidates at the centre, Hafsat Abubakar has said.