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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will conduct its optional mock UTME in January, ahead of the main examinations later in the year.
The board disclosed this on Sunday in Abuja in a statement signed by the Head of Media, Fabian Benjamin.
The board also reiterated the need for candidates to register on time and ensure that they follow due process in order to avoid avoidable challenges.
The statement reads: “As we prepare for the 2018 examinations, beginning with the optional mock, we urge candidates to register on time, make clear their choices of institutions, disciplines and examination centres in the process.
“Candidates must note that their first choice can be a College of Education, a university, an Innovation Enterprise Institution, a polytechnic or a monotechnic.
“Others include, the Nigerian Defence Academy or the Police Academy. We will conduct a better examination, ensure more transparent admission and make more remittances to the government.
The board, which described 2017 as year of transformation to success with the support of stakeholders, added that 2017 was its most eventful year so far.
“In 2017, the board conducted one of the most transparent, inclusive and acceptable examinations with the least incidence of malpractices.
“We invested significantly in the development of intellectual structures, examination infrastructure and human human resources.
“This will propel more development in 2018 and put the board in the position to compete favourably with any public institution; globally, be it an examination body or service agency.
The board also noted that while it had opened its “entire functionality to public participation and scrutiny”, it had been able to adopt some of the suggestions made by the public, which it said, had helped “to build the new JAMB”.