The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified that the ongoing 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) officially starts at 8am daily, and not at 6am or 6:30am as widely misunderstood.
JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin, made the clarification on Saturday following complaints from parents and guardians who decried the early resumption time, saying it was unfair to candidates travelling long distances.
Speaking with journalists, Benjamin explained that candidates are expected to arrive at their designated Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres by 6:30am for pre-examination formalities, but that the actual examination begins at 8am.
“Our exams start at 8am. There is no exam scheduled for 6am or 6:30am,” Benjamin said. “If you are booked to travel by air at 8am, you are expected to be at the airport early enough. It’s the same principle. No one is expected to stroll into the exam hall at 8am without going through necessary checks.”
He further stressed that if candidates are not told to arrive early, many would likely turn up late for their sessions.
“Once we say 8am, some candidates will show up at 8:30am or even 10am, giving all sorts of excuses,” he noted. “Even if the exam was fixed for 12pm, some would still arrive late.”
Benjamin also addressed concerns that the 6:30am arrival time puts candidates at risk, maintaining that daybreak across Nigeria typically happens by 6am, making early movement relatively safe.
On the issue of candidates being posted to faraway centres, Benjamin explained that JAMB had put structures in place to reduce long travel distances.
“Candidates choose their preferred examination towns during registration,” he said. “Centres are clustered around these towns. No candidate is expected to travel more than a kilometre to write the exam. JAMB cannot build a centre behind everyone’s backyard.”
He added that only a small fraction—less than 10 percent of candidates—are scheduled for the first session of the day, and of this, very few need to travel far to reach their centres.
Addressing reports of candidates missing their exams due to technical hitches, Benjamin noted that JAMB continues to improve the UTME process and promised that as Nigeria’s infrastructure improves, so will the examination system.
Parents Demand Rescheduling After Power Outage
Meanwhile, a parent, Mr. Peter Vandu, lamented that his daughter was unable to complete her exam following a power outage at her centre. He called on JAMB to cancel all results from the affected session and reschedule the examination, threatening legal action if the request is not honoured.
Several other parents echoed the same concerns, insisting that technical issues should not jeopardise their children’s future.
House of Reps Pledges Support for JAMB
In a related development, the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies has pledged support to JAMB in tackling challenges affecting the UTME.
During an oversight visit to some centres in Abuja on Friday, the committee chairman, Oboku Oforji, commended JAMB’s efforts, describing UTME as a critical platform for young Nigerians.
“We are very proud of JAMB. What they are doing gives us hope for our country,” Oforji said.
However, he noted some areas for improvement, particularly the lack of air conditioning, poor ventilation, and absence of medical personnel at some centres.
The committee assured that it would work closely with JAMB to address these challenges and improve the conduct of future examinations.
