The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that a total of 2,030,627 candidates have successfully registered for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), scheduled to commence nationwide on April 25.
The Board also officially closed the registration for the 2025 UTME on Saturday, 18 March 2025, in line with its earlier declaration that there would be no extension of the registration exercise.
The registration process, which began on 3 February 2025, saw a total of 2,030,627 candidates successfully complete their registration, allowing them to participate in the UTME scheduled for 25 April 2025.
This number, according to JAMB in its weekly bulletin made available to newsmen on Monday in Abuja, excludes the number of candidates who registered to sit the examination in foreign centres.
The Board further disclosed that a total of 200,115 candidates expressed interest in taking the optional mock UTME, which is set for 5 April 2025, adding that among these, 630 candidates have also registered for the trial mock examination, which will take place on the same date.
“With the closure of the UTME registration, preparations for the annual examination are now in full swing,” the Board said.
“This year, the Board has implemented several innovative measures to deter cheating and maintain the integrity of the examination process.
“These measures have already led to multiple arrests of candidates attempting to use forged A-level results for admission, highlighting the effectiveness of the new system designed to detect such fraud.
“Candidates are strongly advised to adhere to the examination rules and regulations and to refrain from any dishonest practices during the examination,” JAMB stated.
Meanwhile, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has clarified that its Computer-Based Test Examination (CBT) is not an internet-based examination.
The Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, made the clarifications when the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Bwari.
During the visit, the Registrar pointed out that the clarification became necessary in view of the erroneous belief in some quarters that the UTME is conducted using the internet and that it is poor internet connectivity that is responsible for the glitches recorded in the course of the examination in some cases.
According to him, the Board uses Local Area Network (LAN), which is a computer network that interconnects computers within a limited area, such as a residence, campus, or building, using its own network protocols and is locally managed.
He stated that LANs facilitate the distribution of data and sharing of the network within a limited area. He noted that these items of data are encrypted with other safety measures before they become accessible on the computer terminals of candidates to kick-start the examination.
On the partnership with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Prof. Oloyede stated that the possession of a National Identification Number (NIN) is a precondition for UTME registration.
He also used the opportunity afforded by the visit to brief the delegation on the Board’s policy on data correction, changes in data obtained from NIMC, and the consequences of such actions, among others.
Speaking further, the Registrar said change can occur when it becomes inevitable and where there is an apparent error, but this would not be done without a footnote to safeguard the integrity of the system.
He advised the delegation to take advantage of the “REQUERY” window on the Board’s portal in the event of any gaps noticed in the data supplied, adding that the Board would not allow any form of obliteration of candidates’ history and enjoined NAPPS to join it in the war against fraud.
The Registrar also stated that the UTME registration is not a school-based exercise as obtained with the West African Examination Council (WAEC), the National Examination Council (NECO), and other school-based examinations.
Earlier, the President of NAPPS, Dr Samira Jubrin, had raised some concerns about such issues as registration, technical glitches, NIN, and correction of data, and a host of others.
She commended the Registrar for his laudable work in JAMB and urged him not to rest on his laurels. She indicated the readiness of the association to partner with JAMB for mutual benefit.
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