The validity period of results for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) was extended to three years as against the present one year by the Nigerian Senate on Thursday, October 13.

According to the Senate the extension was granted to reduce the financial burden of the examination on parents.


Students received this news with so much relief especially for those who consider it a stress going through the rigorous process of writing exams many times and more from parents who have to pay more.

However many have not looked at the negative side to the results been extended for three years. The question now is, when this bill is implemented what are the possible negative implications for this.

1. Such policy would make students lazy

The directive by the Senate is not good for our educational system because it will make students not to take JAMB examination seriously. A situation may arise that a student will write JAMB in 2017 but doesn't get admitted. Such student, knowing fully well that he can use the result in 2018 and 2019 may decide not to study. The nation's educational system needs a policy that would improve standard of education not the one that would have adverse effects.

2. Admission seekers are left confused

The extension of the results confuses students because they don't know if the score they had the previous year that did not provide them admission will be accepted again.  It is ill-timed at a time when post utme has just been scraped and students dont know the yardstick used by the school to admit them. The timing should have been at a later period when everything is balanced

3. Number of student seeking admission will increase

Even though the policy will reduce the number of candidates taking JAMB each year, it will increase the number of candidates seeking admission through UTME each year since their results will expire after 3 years. This will not help the tertiary institutions as some lack the capacity to accommodate the increasing number of admission seekers.

4. It reduces revenue for JAMB

Even the examination body will feel the impact as the number of students taking the exam each year will drop. JAMB makes a lot from sale of formS, but since the result has been extended to three years the money coming in will reduce.

5. Change in university's curriculum

There is always change in institutions' curriculum which will eventually affect admission process as universities will not admit an applicant after curriculum change.

Source:  http://nigerianewsonline.com.ng/5-possible-negative-implications-of-jambs-3-year-result-extention/