UNIZIK POSTGRADUATE SCREENING DESCRIBED AS UNPROFESSIONAL

The 3-day post graduate screening test at Nnamdi Azikiwe University for the 2016/2017 academic session which started on Monday has been described as unprofessional as candidates thronged the university’s main campus in Awka spending the whole day waiting to write the 50 minutes Computer Based Test (CBT) test.

Expectedly, there was massive turn out for the first-day’s screening test since PhD, Masters and PGD candidates for the faculties of Arts, Social Sciences, Management Sciences, Law and Education were all invited to take the test at 8am. However, the overwhelming crowd may have taken the organisers by surprise and although they opted to do the test in batches beginning with PhD candidates, the challenge of inadequate computer systems and disorderly manner of admitting candidates into the exam hall marred the exercise.

As at 7PM, many of the candidates were yet to do the test and they expressed frustration citing poor planning and shabby treatment by organisers. Enugu based banker and PhD candidate, Victor said he already missed a full day’s work under the most frustrating conditions. For chinagoro, another PhD applicant, it is a case of belittlement. She said, “We had to push and shove our way into the exam hall because there is no system of entry into the hall because they seem not to have the list of applicants. We came here by 7:30AM but the officials were not even here to put things in order which shows inadequate preparation.”

Other respondents in separate comments suggested that proper scheduling of test for candidates based on available computers would have helped matters. They described the exercise as unprofessional.

Some candidates who were repeating the screening after failed attempt last year confirmed that this year’s test was much like the last with regards to poor planning. They advised the organisers of the post graduate programme at the university to review the structure and system of the screening test in order to reduce the difficulties faced by candidates and protect the good image of the university.