Some candidates taking the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), have lamented the short time given for the test.

They told journalists who monitored the examination in Awka on Friday that the time allotted for the exercise was too short.

The candidates claimed that some of them were not conversant with computers, while others said they were not given extra time when they faced technical problems.

They appealed for an extension of the set time to enable candidates perform optimally.

Onyimye Okonkwo, a candidate who sat for the Computer-Based Test (CBT) at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, complained that the time was too short for her to cope, considering the technical fault that occurred during the test.

According to her, two hours is not enough to handle four subjects and I am not conversant with computers. I pray that I will make my scores.

Juliet Nnadi, another candidate, said that during her aptitude examination, she encountered technical problems while using the computer. Though it was later resolved, she was not given extra time to cover the lost hour.

Another candidate, Chibundu Nwafor, remarked that the allotted time for the exam was not fair to some of the candidates who were not very conversant with computer processes.

Mr Nwafor appealed to the organisers, JAMB, to reconsider the time factor allotted to the process, as the exercise would have a significant impact on their future.

One of the supervisors, who preferred anonymity, said that the computers were functional, adding that some candidates were nervous and not computer-literate.

The supervisor stressed the need to allow children attend computer lessons, especially during holidays.

The UTME began on April 16 and will end on April 26. 

(NAN)