Mock-UTME holds Thursday, JAMB okays use of HB pencils

The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board has said the 2024 Mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination will be held on Thursday, March 7,2024.

The Board said all candidates sitting for the 2024 Mock-UTME would be allowed to enter the examination hall with an ordinary HB pencil for numerical analysis if desired.

The JAMB spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin, in a statement on Wednesday, said the clarification became necessary following the series of enquiries from candidates and the general public regarding whether HB pencils were permitted in the examination hall as a writing material.

He said: “It should be noted that the Board had hitherto prohibited the use of pencils and other banned materials in view of the nefarious ends that these materials are put.”

The Board, has, however, okayed the use of ordinary HB pencil during the upcoming Mock-UTME and the main scheduled to commence on Friday, 19th April 2024.

Consequently, candidates are urged to note that they are to come with only one pencil to their respective examination centres as specified while ensuring that they are not in possession of any other prohibited items.

JAMB had in 2019 banned 19 items such as watches, pens or biros, mobile phones or similar electronic devices, spy reading glasses, calculators, hard disks or similar storage devices, books or any reading material, cameras, recorders and microphones.

The Board then said its decision was to ensure that the examinations meet best global practices.

The 2024 UTME will commence on April 19,2024 and end on April 29,2024 according to initial announcement.