Precious Nwonu, Enugu

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has revised the arrival and examination times for candidates taking part in the first session of the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

Under the new arrangement, candidates are expected to arrive at their designated Computer-Based Test centres by 7:30 a.m., instead of the earlier 6:30 a.m. schedule.

The examination will now begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 10:30 a.m.

JAMB announced the adjustment in its weekly bulletin released in Abuja, explaining that the decision was prompted by safety and logistical concerns associated with candidates travelling to examination centres in the early hours of the morning.

The board said the concern was particularly significant for candidates who live far from their assigned centres and may be required to leave their homes before dawn to meet the previous arrival time.

According to JAMB, the decision followed deliberations at its 2026 Management and IT Retreat held in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, from September 6 to 11.

The retreat considered concerns raised by members of the public about the challenges candidates could face while travelling in the early hours, particularly those coming from distant locations.

JAMB said the later arrival time was expected to improve the safety and convenience of candidates and potentially reduce absenteeism linked to difficulties with early-morning travel.

The board, however, said other examination sessions would continue to operate under the established scheduling arrangements.

The retreat brought together JAMB management, state coordinators, heads of outstation offices and other relevant stakeholders to consider measures for improving the efficiency, safety and credibility of the UTME.

The participants also reviewed ways to enhance the overall examination experience as the board prepares for the growing scale and logistical demands of the exercise.

Although the 2027 UTME is still months away, JAMB said preparations had commenced, with the board working to implement lessons from previous examinations and decisions reached during the retreat.

It said the objective was to provide a more efficient, seamless and candidate-friendly examination.

JAMB urged candidates and members of the public to take note of the adjustment and await further official communication on the full 2027 UTME timetable and other examination arrangements.