2026 UTME: JAMB Shifts Timing after Outcry over Early Morning Arrival

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced a slight adjustment to the schedule for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

This was disclosed in a statement by the Board on its official X (formerly Twitter) page.

This comes following complaints of early arrival times and logistical challenges reported during previous examinations and mock sessions.

What they are saying 

JAMB stated that the change is part of efforts to improve coordination and ensure a smoother examination process.

Candidates scheduled for the first session are now expected to arrive at 7:00 am, with the exam starting at 8:30 am and ending at 10:30 am

Based on the updated schedule released by JAMB, candidates will sit for the examination in four sessions daily from Monday to Thursday.

Monday to Thursday Schedule 

• Session 1: Arrive at 7:00 AM | Starts at 8:30 AM | Ends at 10:30 AM
• Session 2: Arrive at 9:00 AM | Starts at 11:00 AM | Ends at 1:00 PM
• Session 3: Arrive at 11:00 AM | Starts at 1:30 PM | Ends at 3:30 PM
• Session 4: Arrive at 2:00 PM | Starts at 4:00 PM | Ends at 6:00 PM

Friday Schedule 

• Session 1: Arrive at 7:00 AM | Starts at 8:30 AM | Ends at 10:30 AM
• Session 2: Arrive at 9:00 AM | Starts at 11:00 AM | Ends at 1:00 PM
• Session 3 (Reserved): Arrive at 11:00 AM | Starts at 1:30 PM | Ends at 3:30 PM
• Session 4: Arrive at 2:00 PM | Starts at 4:00 PM | Ends at 6:00 PM

The board notes that the arrival time for the first session has been moved from 6:30 AM to 7:00 AM.

What you should know 

The early arrival time has been a major concern for candidates and parents, especially during the recent UTME mock examination.

• Many candidates were required to arrive at centres as early as 6:30 am, forcing families to leave their homes before dawn, in some cases as early as 5:30 am, particularly for centres located far from their residences.
• Parents complained that some candidates were posted to distant locations, making the early timing difficult and, in some cases, unsafe given transportation and security concerns.
• Despite arriving early, many candidates were left waiting for hours due to delays and technical issues, with some centres scheduled for 8:00 am not starting until late morning.
• The just concluded the 2026 UTME mock examination was also marred by widespread technical glitches and poor coordination across several centres nationwide.
• Many candidates were unable to sit for the exam due to network failures and system errors, while some centres experienced hours-long delays or could not commence the test at all.

In response to these challenges, JAMB delisted over 20 Computer-Based Test centres across 11 states that failed to meet technical standards during the mock exercise, as part of efforts to improve the conduct of the main examination.