JAMB moves 2027 UTME first-session arrival to 7:30am

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has moved the reporting time for candidates sitting the first session of the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination from 6:30am to 7:30am.

Under the revised schedule, candidates assigned to the first session are expected to arrive at their designated Computer-Based Test centres by 7:30am, while the examination will begin at 8:30am and end at 10:30am.

JAMB announced the adjustment in its weekly bulletin issued in Abuja, saying it was aimed at addressing safety and logistical concerns associated with candidates travelling to examination centres before dawn.

The board said the earlier 6:30am reporting time posed particular challenges for candidates whose examination centres were far from their homes.

It noted that some candidates would have needed to leave home very early in the morning to arrive at their centres on time, exposing them to difficulties associated with early-morning travel.

The adjustment followed discussions at JAMB’s 2026 Management and Information Technology Retreat held in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, from September 6 to 11.

According to the board, concerns raised by members of the public about the implications of the early reporting time were considered during the retreat.

JAMB said the revised schedule was intended to make the examination process safer and more convenient for candidates while reducing possible absenteeism linked to difficulties in reaching centres at very early hours.

The board said the new arrangement would apply to candidates scheduled for the first session of the 2027 UTME.