Playing Catch-Up to JAMB UTME Computer-Based Testing

Those who play catch-up often times fail to effectively catch up. JAMB already signaled its intention to conduct Computer- Based Exams (also referred to as e-Testing) from as early as 2010 because of the obvious benefits of the method in reducing or eliminating cheating, reduction of delivery time-frame for results and reduction in exam delivery costs amongst logistic and other benefits. Despite facing opposition and several challenges, the examination body has been able to partly fulfill its goal of conducting CBT exams in 2013 and is on course towards full-CBT adoption by 2015!

Some nay sayers are going to be sitting and watching how things go, full of skepticism and being masters of negative criticism and seers of challenges. Just as many were skeptical when Noah was building the ark and ended up begging to be let in when the rain will not stop, a good number of schools may end up scrambling for damage control only after their students have experienced mass failure in the JAMB UTME.

Based on a comparison of performance results, students who sat for the JAMB UTME CBT in 2013 generally had better results than those who took the old-style Paper-Based Exam. That in itself alone has generated a lot of excitement with a lot more students poised to register for the JAMB UTME CBT option due the attraction of better results.

However, expectations without foundations often lead to disappointments. Merely choosing JAMB UTME CBT option because others who sat for the option previously performed well, is no guarantee of success without adequate preparation. It is just like saying that there is money in Lagos, New York or London. It simply does not mean the money is literarily for picking on the streets of these major cities!

It should go without saying that the students confident enough to register for the JAMB UTME CBT option in 2013 knew they were adequately prepared and that was the key reason they had good results. That is why those who are all contemplating the JAMB UTME CBT option for the coming examination should either be prepared or start preparing now! 

Smart schools and smart students desirous of excellent JAMB UTME CBT results are already adopting EasiPREP CBT solution for examination preparation. EasiPREP CBT solutions allow students to prepare for Computer-Based Examinations like the JAMB UTME CBT by practicing with a databank of JAMB UTME, WAEC SSCE and NECO SSCE past questions covering over 13 subjects spread over 10 years in a simulated testing environment with actual timing and automated scoring at the end of each practice exercise! EasiPREP CBT offers the broadest preparation platform editions in Nigeria including the (1) Internet Edition for those who have access to internet and can access our website at www.easiprep.com, the (2) Personal Computer Edition for those who wish to install and use it on personal computers and laptops without having to use the internet and the (3) School Network Edition that can be used by students in the school computer laboratory network without need for internet! We also have the (4) Tablet Edition for tablets and smart phones running Android OS!

For more information about EasiPREP CBT products, please visit www.easiprep.com

I Have A Dream, A Computer-Based Dream!

Apologies to the late Martins Luther King Jnr. and his estate for the use of the world-famous “I have a dream…” phrase in this write up to highlight my own dreams of a future, the context and contents of which in a way does may not bear the same weight as Mr. Kings’ but nonetheless emphasizes a sub-set of freedom; freedom for students all over Nigeria who have at one point in their life faced the unfortunate situation  of having to wait a year or more after losing a battle to the “dreaded” Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB)’s  University Matriculation Examination (UME), now the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the loss of which might be just a few points or numbers, but the import of which could be summed in the adage “A miss is as good as a mile”.

I have a dream; a dream that one day, JAMB UTME results would be available within 24 hours of taking the examination.

I have a dream, that one day, JAMB UTME examinations would be conducted more than once, at least 4 times a year, in the mould of SAT and TOEFL.

I have a dream, that one day, mass cancellation of results of JAMB UTME centers for irregularities and cheating, in which the innocent suffer as much as the wicked, would be a thing of the past, and everyone would soon be easily held up for his or her sins.

I have a dream, that one day, failing or making a mistake at a single JAMB UTME examination sitting would not prevent a student from entering tertiary institution for a whole year, because such a student would have one or more opportunities to attempt the examination again before admission processing at tertiary institutions for the new academic year.

I have a dream, when JAMB UTME results would no longer be with-held for any reason whatsoever and the days of examination imposters and mercenaries would be a thing of history.

I have a dream that the cost of JAMB UTME eventually would come down because of the reduced logistic costs through Computer-Based and Internet-Based Testing, making it affordable for a wider range of Nigerian students seeking tertiary education.

I believe, to a certain extent from several interviews that he has granted, that the current JAMB Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde shares my dream. And I believe that with determination, focus and resourcefulness on his part and with the support of fellow Nigerians, he can make the dream a reality for the benefit of us all and the unborn. However, I must also state here that I have a nightmare…., a nightmare of JAMB UTME CBT gone wrong, in which the focus is on making money from hapless Nigerian students rather than delivering anything of value to them,…. a nightmare in which the JAMB UTME CBT software’s effectiveness and integrity’s compromised and students get the wrong results and are forced to pay for the inefficiencies of others who should have done things right in the first place! I also hope Prof. Dibu Ojerinde shares these nightmares and would work tirelessly to ensure they do not become a reality that has to be defended with excuses in the media here and there, while hapless students and their parents bear the pains of an experiment gone wrong and JAMB contractors smile to the bank.

At EasiPREP, we share the dreams of a CBT future, a future already staring from now, in which computers and information technology makes examination preparation, testing and assessment easy and worth the money, delivering undeniable and obvious value to students, parents and academic institutions. At EasiPREP, we are eliminating the era of carrying around lots of past question paper booklets to prepare for examinations, we’re helping to save the trees, and save the stress. Instead of several booklets to cover several subjects for examinations like JAMB UTME, WAEC & NECO SSCE, you now have it all on something you can hold in the palm of your hand. Yes, that’s why we made the One CD to contain them all… the One DVD to contain them all, 13 subjects and still counting, across 3 major national examinations and still counting; the EasiPREP CBT CD and DVD Editions! Like Coca Cola, it cuts across class, wealth, location and other barriers, to deliver value to that smart, wise and insightful student who wants to make a difference in his/her academic future. For more information, please visit http://www.easiprep.com/

Countering Unpredictability the Easi-Way!

Unpredictability is as much a fact of life as Change is, and the more so in African countries where planning is often done on ad-hoc basis. Sometimes, one of the worst hit sectors is Education, where strike actions by teachers or infrastructure issues may result in mass failures, serious education hiatus or damage to continuity in education that could have long term effects in the lives of affected students. I remember having to wait practically a whole academic year after graduating from Secondary School despite having all the requisite JAMB UME and WAEC SSCE grades along with an admission letter, all because of a face-off between the Federal Government and the University Lecturers’ Association (ASUU). My situation, as unpalatable as it looked then, was a lot better than that of another student who had to attend a Government-owned Secondary School. Due to a nation-wide strike action by teachers during his final year in the school, he was unable to get the necessary assistance and guidance in preparing for WAEC SSCE and JAMB UME, leading to failure in the examinations and one or two re-sits before he could proceed to a tertiary institution. For the seemingly simple strike action of about one year, the aforementioned student lost two to three years, thousands of Naira in examination and preparation fees and un-quantifiable self-esteem and confidence in his academic abilities, the effects of which may last a life-time. How bad or worse could the situation or its effects be? Imagine a situation in which the student is from a poor home and an uncle or benefactor who could pay for his tertiary education where to pass on during the periods of failure and re-sitting examinations the poor student could have passed at once with the necessary preparation? Imagine the poor student missing a scholarship he could have earned as a result of these avoidable failures? Suffice to say, the opportunity cost could be limitless.

Though Nigeria is making some progress, we may not be able to rule out strike actions by teachers in Government-owned Secondary Schools for the time being. However, EasiPREP offers more than adequate insurance for students now preparing for the major national examinations of JAMB UTME, WAEC & NECO SSCE with its round-the-clock all-year-round Internet-based examination preparation platform. EasiPREP’s examination preparation packages are self-paced and do not require the presence of a teacher or instructor for students to practice with it or prepare for their examinations. EasiPREP also offers a wide range of delivery options aside the Internet-based platform, such as EasiPREP CBT software for installation on personal computers and laptops without need for internet-access and EasiPREP CBT DVD Edition for interactive play of any modern Home DVD player. With EasiPREP, you can mitigate or eliminate the effects of teacher strike actions, political unrest, general insecurity and even acts of God upon your examination preparation, thus avoiding failure! While you can’t always be sure with predictability of events that may affect your normal course preparation for exams, guarantee success with EasiPREP.