The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has postponed the mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, which was initially scheduled to hold in selected accredited centres across the country on Saturday.

The mock examination was designed to test the candidates’ ability to adapt to Computer Based Testing, CBT, which JAMB has made mandatory for all the participants for this year’s exam.

Candidates were said to have reported at their respective centres as early as 5 a.m on Saturday and had to wait until 2 pm before they were informed that the mock examination would no longer hold.

According to the New Agency of Nigeria, NAN, an official of JAMB at one of the centres said they were experiencing network problems.

He said that the postponement was as a result of “some unforeseen circumstances” and that a new date would be communicated to the prospective candidates.

The official, who pleaded anonymity as he was not allowed to speak on the issue, said the situation was highly regretted, and pleaded for understanding.

Candidates expressed disappointment as they left the venue.

One of them told NAN that he hoped JAMB would avoid the hitch during the examination proper.

“Imagine what just happened; we have been waiting here as early as 6.00 a.m. only for us to be informed that the examination will no longer hold,” he said.

“I feel disappointed even though it is a trial examination, but at the same time, it is an eye opener for the organisers to be on their toes, get it right before May 6,” he added.

Another candidate, Samuel Joel, said that the country had come a long way to be having such challenges.

“I do not really know the main reason for the postponement of the mock examination, but I just think that somewhere somehow, things did not just turn out fine.

“I am not happy going home now without doing the examination after waiting for about eight hours.

“Whatever it is that was responsible for the problem should be tackled as quickly as possible to regain our confidence,” he said.