The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a strong warning to candidates preparing for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), urging them to arrive at their examination centres well ahead of their scheduled time to avoid missing the test.
In a recent advisory, the examination body explained that each candidate is assigned a specific seat and session under the computer-based testing system used for the UTME. As a result, candidates who fail to arrive on time risk being marked absent and losing the opportunity to sit for the examination.
JAMB officials stressed that the examination schedule operates on a strict time-slot arrangement, where every seat is reserved for a particular candidate at a designated session. Once a session begins, another candidate may already be scheduled for the same seat at the next time slot, making immediate rescheduling impossible.
The board noted that rescheduling is only permitted under genuine and verifiable circumstances beyond a candidate’s control. Such situations include technical issues like power outages, network failures, or other system-related disruptions at the examination centre.
However, JAMB made it clear that lateness by candidates does not qualify as a valid reason for rescheduling.
To emphasise the rule, the board explained that a candidate expected to report to the centre by 9:00 a.m. for a 10:30 a.m. examination session who arrives even a minute late—such as 10:31 a.m.—could be regarded as absent and may not be allowed to participate in the examination.
The board therefore advised all candidates to carefully review their examination slips, which contain crucial information such as their centre location, reporting time, session details, and seat number.
Candidates are encouraged to arrive early, complete all verification procedures, and be fully prepared before the start of their scheduled examination sessions.
follow us on whatsapp
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAOIUe9mrGeBhrju12b
Download our Mobile App for easy access
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.edutvmobile.ng&hl=en
Mobile App Lite
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.edutvng.lite
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.edutvmobile.ng&hl=en
Follow us on Youtube
https://youtube.com/@edutvnigeria
Follow us on LinkedIn -
https://ng.linkedin.com/company/edutvnigeria
Follow us on Instagram
https://instagram.com/edutvnigeria
Follow us on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/edutvnigeria/
