The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has hinted that it would organise a mop-up examination for candidates who are not able to resolve issues around their registration before the slated examination date.

“A mop-up exam, which the date is yet to be announced, will be conducted,’’ JAMB’s acting director at the Lagos Zonal office, Shittu Billiaminu, said in Lagos on Friday while briefing reporters on preparations for the exams.

He however said candidates who failed to meet the National Identity Number (NIN) criteria for registration would not partake in the exam.

Mr Billiaminu said 95 per cent of candidates for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) met the requirement.

The 2021 UTME examination will begin from Saturday June 19, until July 3.

JAMB has worked to ensure that all candidates were properly registered and had been notified that candidates who failed to obtain NIN will not complete JAMB registration successfully and will not sit for the examination, Mr Billiaminu said.

He said that NIN consisted of 11 unique digit numbers attached to an individual for personal identification.

Mr Billiaminu also said that JAMB and the federal government received NIN to carry out accurate data and do accurate planning.

He urged parents to allow their children process JAMB registration themselves to ensure proper registration process and better understanding between their wards and the board.

“One of the challenges we have is that parents don’t allow us to rest.

“They knock on the JAMB gate every time and when we grant them access they cannot answer the questions we ask.

“When JAMB requires profile code of their wards, some of them don’t know it.

“In fact, we have made it a policy to deal with candidates directly,’’ he said.

The acting director noted that JAMB would continue to uphold the standard.

The examination body had on July 14, opened the windows for its candidates who could not complete their registration due to NIN difficulties to do so.

(NAN)