No fewer than 2,030,627 candidates who successfully completed their registration are expected to sit for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which begins today, Thursday, across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
This figure was confirmed by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which revealed that the registration exercise lasted from February 3 to March 8, 2025, giving prospective candidates ample time to complete the process.
It would be recalled that over 200,000 candidates participated in the mock UTME earlier in the year. However, JAMB has disclosed that around 180 candidates are currently facing sanctions for engaging in examination malpractice during the mock exercise.
During the monitoring of the mock exam, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, reiterated the board’s zero-tolerance stance on cheating and urged candidates to embrace academic integrity.
“We must keep reminding our students that preparation, not shortcuts, is the only reliable path to success,” Oloyede said. “We are aware of rogue websites that deceive candidates with fake leaked questions. Those sites will not help anyone.”
He disclosed that JAMB created a decoy website to trap cheats, and as of the monitoring date, 180 students had paid money into the fake account, believing they were buying access to real exam questions.
“To even attempt to cheat is already an offence, and we will not take it lightly. The results of those involved, including both UTME and Direct Entry, will be cancelled,” the JAMB boss warned.
Oloyede also cautioned against registering candidates by proxy or allowing schools to manipulate registration data, stressing that the UTME is an individual-based exam.
“We’ve seen schools and even state governments celebrating false results. UTME is not a school exam, and we will continue to deal with those falsifying data,” he said.
JAMB has urged all candidates to steer clear of fraudulent agents and websites, while assuring Nigerians of its commitment to conducting credible and transparent examinations.
