Nigerians urge new JAMB registrar to fix UTME’s CBT centre, result-checking, and low cut-off mark issues

President Bola Tinubu recently appointed Professor Segun Aina to lead the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), with the transition set to occur after Professor Ishaq Oloyede’s tenure ends on July 31, 2026. On officially resuming office as the registrar, Nigerians have many expectations and demands from Aina regarding what could be done to improve JAMB and its examinations. OLANSHILE OGUNRINU sampled the opinions of some Nigerians on these issues. Their views:

Agbor Victor

JAMB still faces credibility issues regarding examination integrity, technical glitches during the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), and the perception that the board focuses too much on revenue generation rather than on standards. Many candidates and parents also complain about inconsistent processes, sudden policy changes, and poor handling of complaints, which erodes trust in the system.

For the new JAMB registrar, the priority should be to restore confidence by tightening anti-malpractice measures, making exam processes more transparent and stable, and using JAMB primarily as a quality benchmark for admissions rather than as a revenue source. If these are fixed and the board returns to a single, credible standard for all admission seekers, it would go a long way in producing graduates who meet national and international admission needs.

Elijah Aderemi

The new JAMB Registrar should improve accessibility and flexibility in the agency’s operations. Candidates should be allowed to easily recover or change their phone numbers and email addresses in cases where such details are lost, inaccessible, or no longer active. Many students face serious difficulties in accessing JAMB services because of this rigidity. In addition, JAMB should reconsider the compulsory biometric verification for simple services such as uploading O’Level results and change of course or institution. While biometric verification is important for security-sensitive activities, making it compulsory for minor services creates unnecessary stress, delays, and extra expenses for candidates across the country.

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Esther Olatimehin

The new JAMB registrar should prioritise accountability, transparency, and proper management of the agency’s operations. Over the years, candidates have faced recurring issues such as technical failures during examinations, poor handling of complaints, sudden changes in policies, biometric issues, and the emotional stress caused by these system errors. Many students spend a large amount of money on registration, transportation, and computer-based test (CBT) centres, only to encounter avoidable problems. The agency also needs stricter supervision of CBT centres to curb exploitation and malpractice.

Apart from conducting examinations, JAMB should become more responsive to students’ concerns and initiate a system that genuinely supports fairness, efficiency, and equal opportunities by creating a communication channel where every candidate can reach out to air their complaints.

Samuel Tobiloba

The new JAMB registrar should focus on making the admission process more student-friendly, transparent, and reliable. Technical glitches experienced during the UTME examination and result processing must be properly addressed to restore public confidence. Access to JAMB services should also be easier, as many students spend entire days travelling to offices without getting solutions to simple issues. There is also a need for policy stability, because frequent changes in admission guidelines often confuse candidates and parents.

JAMB should consider extending the validity of UTME results beyond one year to reduce financial pressure on students. Most importantly, the registrar must tackle admission racketeering, especially in highly competitive courses, to ensure fairness and merit in admissions.

Taiwo Akanbi

The urgent reforms JAMB needs is to regulate SMS charges for profile codes and results, allow easier replacement of lost phone numbers/emails, and stop unnecessarily expanding biometrics (fingerprints) for transfers and O’Level uploads that burden remote students. The agency should also strengthen CAPS with clear public guidelines, published cut-off marks, course slots, and merit lists. Over-reliance on 55019 should be reversed.

There should be web options to get profile code, check result notification, ensure students can secure admission with either first or second choice and accept within 14 days. The agency should schedule examinations across April–June on Saturdays to reduce congestion. Current rushes harm candidates. Some still have not written the 2026 JAMB as of now.

Midé Gbádégẹṣin

The new JAMB registrar should improve on the technical problems candidates faced during the UTME examinations. In 2025, JAMB admitted that technical glitches affected over 387,000 candidates in different CBT centres across the country, forcing many students to rewrite the exam. We have the funding and human resources to realise this. What we have always lacked is the moral will to do so. Monies should be appropriated to the right quarters to ensure a seamless examination experience.

Another one is the quality of JAMB questions in recent years. Reducing the quality and standards of question to increase the rates of success does not help our education sector. It reflects in the quality of candidates who eventually get into tertiary schools. We cannot continue to sacrifice quality on the altar of quantity.

Akinwunmi Edward

The current procedure for data correction on the JAMB portal has created serious hardship for many candidates. Most corrections now require fingerprint verification, forcing candidates to visit accredited centres or JAMB offices physically. This poses difficulties for candidates living far from such centres, especially amid growing insecurity across the country. Since most candidates are teenagers, these risks are even more concerning. While biometric verification may remain necessary for sensitive corrections like name or age, less sensitive changes, such as course or institution, should be done remotely through secure email or phone verification. This would reduce stress, transportation costs, and security risks for candidates and their families.

Olajide Olawale

There is a need for stricter monitoring of JAMB-accredited examination centres nationwide. Many centres still expose candidates to poor examination conditions due to inadequate facilities and faulty equipment. In some centres, computers malfunction during examinations, causing panic and distraction, while others lack functional mouse devices or a reliable backup power supply. These deficiencies negatively affect candidates’ performance and mental stability. I respectfully urge the new JAMB registrar to enforce stricter accreditation and inspection standards. Centres lacking functional computers, stable internet, backup power, and conducive environments should be suspended until they meet requirements. This will improve the fairness, credibility, and efficiency of the examination process.

Olanrewaju Fadlulah

The current system of checking JAMB results places an unnecessary financial burden on candidates. Many are forced to send multiple SMS messages before receiving responses due to network failures, with each SMS costing up to ₦100. This is frustrating, especially for students from struggling backgrounds. I urge JAMB to adopt a cheaper and more accessible result-checking system. The board could create a temporary online portal for candidates to view preliminary results or send results directly to candidates’ registered email addresses. Such measures would reduce dependence on SMS services and make the process more efficient, transparent, convenient, and financially considerate for candidates and their families.

Ishola Demola

The newly appointed JAMB registrar should focus on improving CBT centre facilities and examination standards. Many candidates experience system failures or power outages during exams, while invigilators often fail to respond promptly, which affects candidates’ performance. JAMB should also release results within two or three days after examinations through both SMS and the portal, especially for candidates who no longer have access to their SIM cards. In addition, the current cutoff mark is too low. Raising the benchmark would encourage students to study harder, improve academic standards, and reduce the admission of poorly prepared candidates into tertiary institutions.

Enyinda Galoti

Regarding JAMB’s procedures, one thing I believe needs to be changed is the assigning of aspirants to examination centres that are far from their places of residence. For reasons such as security, expenses, and any other inconveniences that may come with such long trips, I think it is best that aspiring students take these examinations in centres that are closer to their homes.

Another area of concern is the cut-off mark, which has now been set at 150. I believe bringing the bar this low would only make aspirants poorly motivated in their pursuit of academic education. Also, it does not cast a positive light on our dedication to academic excellence as a nation.