JAMB to block wrong subject combinations in 2027 UTME

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will introduce a system that automatically prevents candidates from proceeding with registration if they select incorrect subject combinations for their intended courses ahead of the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The board will also roll out a pre-registration mobile application and strengthen biometric verification during the examination to improve candidates’ experience and curb malpractice.

JAMB Registrar, Segun Aina, disclosed the planned innovations on Saturday in Abuja after a five-kilometre walk organised for the board’s staff as part of preparations for the 2027 examination.

Aina said the proposed mobile application would allow prospective candidates to retrieve their details from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), enter their biodata and select preferred subjects, courses and institutions from home.

The platform would also provide candidates with advance information on admission requirements, including previous years’ entry marks for their preferred courses.

“There are a lot of innovations that are coming up. Now we are rolling out what we are calling a pre-registration application,” Aina said.

He explained that the platform would help candidates make informed decisions about their course and institution choices based on their academic abilities.

According to the registrar, the application would reduce the time candidates spend at registration centres, particularly during biometric capture.

Aina said the new system would also eliminate the possibility of candidates submitting incorrect subject combinations for their chosen courses.

“Before now you could potentially make wrong subject choices for the course you intend to do. We are going to make that technically impossible, which means you cannot progress with your application if the subject combination is wrong,” he said.

On examination security, the registrar said JAMB would strengthen biometric verification during the actual UTME to protect the integrity of the examination and prevent malpractice.

JAMB bars unqualified CBT centres from hosting 2027 UTME

He added that the enhanced security measures would be accompanied by concessions aimed at making registration less stressful, including greater flexibility in correcting candidates’ biodata.

The board also plans to introduce a feature that will enable candidates to report questions they consider faulty during the examination.

Aina said JAMB would review such reports to determine whether the questions contained errors.

Candidates would equally be able to rate their computer-based test (CBT) centres after the examination, allowing the board to obtain feedback on their experiences and monitor the standards of its private-sector partners.

The registrar said JAMB was considering additional innovations as it prepares for the 2027 UTME.