Some parents, guardians and candidates in Lagos on Monday expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), they described the examination as peaceful and well-coordinated.
NAN reports that the 2025 UTME, conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), began on April 24 and will end on May 5.
A visit to several Computer Based Test (CBT) centres in Egbeda, Idimu, Oko Filling in Igando, and Ori-Oke in Ikotun showed a smooth exercise.
At the CBT centre located at Oduduwa University, near Car Wash bus stop, Egbeda, candidates were seen taking the examination in an orderly manner.
Candidates who spoke to a NAN correspondent said the coordination of the exam was smooth and free of hitches.
Mr Rufus Destiny, a candidate, told NAN after his session that he experienced a smooth entry and encountered no issues with the computer assigned to him.
“My exam was fine, although it started late. It was supposed to begin at 6:30 a.m. but eventually started around 9:00 a.m.
“Everything else went well. The network was stable, and the questions were clear. JAMB really did a good job,” he said.
A guardian, Mr Peter Udo, who accompanied his nephew, Mr Gabriel Charles, said the exam was fair, although there was still room for improvement.
“So far, coordination has been good. It is not rowdy. Those scheduled for 9:00 a.m. began entering the hall on time.
“As at 8:50 a.m., officials were already announcing for the 9:00 a.m. batch to proceed into the hall,” Udo stated.
A mother, who requested anonymity, said her child was already inside and commended JAMB’s efforts in ensuring a smooth and hitch-free process.
She prayed that every child sitting the exam would find favour and excel, in spite of the challenges.
Earlier, a visit to Florin High School in the Ejigbo area of Lagos State showed candidates waiting for the exam as early as 7:00 a.m.
However, it was observed that the first session, scheduled for 8:00 a.m., did not start until a few minutes before 9:00 a.m.
Mr Adebowale Osholowu, a candidate, told NAN that the examination was hitch-free and the network connection was excellent.
“I wrote the exam without any network glitches, and the environment was very conducive for concentration,” he said.
Another parent, Mr Ibrahim Subir, who brought his child for the 12:00 p.m. session, said he was confident the exam would go smoothly.
“When I arrived, everything was orderly. Both candidates and parents behaved well, and the environment was conducive,” Subir said.
He, however, expressed concern that some individuals were exploiting the situation by renting out chairs at N200 per seat.
A vendor, Mrs Komolafe, told NAN she was only trying to earn money by renting out chairs to waiting parents and candidates.
At Lily Pride High School, another centre visited by NAN, candidates were observed sitting and reading while waiting for their exams.
Miss Ifeoma Onyebuchi, a candidate, said she was waiting to sit her examination and appreciated JAMB for the opportunity.
“I am here to write my exams. Everything is running smoothly so far, and I pray to succeed,” she said.
She appealed to JAMB to continue improving its examination processes to further ease candidates’ experiences.
Mr Jeremiah Olatunbosun, a parent, told NAN the examination was progressing without hindrance across the centres he observed.
Commenting on parents loitering near centres, he urged them to avoid crowding entrances to ensure smooth operations.
“Parents mean well. Some accompany their children for security reasons, believing they still need guidance and protection,” he said.
He praised JAMB’s Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, for leveraging technology to curb examination malpractice across the board.
Mr Ayodeji Ayotunde, sitting the UTME for the third time, praised JAMB for providing a seamless examination experience this year.
“This is my best attempt so far. In previous years, technical faults prevented me from gaining admission into tertiary institutions,” he said. (NAN)
