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JAMB has announced plans for an additional round of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for candidates who were unable to sit for the 2025 test.
This new mop-up is aimed at accommodating over 5.6% of those who missed the exam nationwide.
Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the board’s Registrar, disclosed the development during a stakeholders’ gathering in Abuja on Wednesday.
He noted that the supplementary test will be open to all affected students, regardless of why they missed the main exam.
“We’re organising a new mop-up session. This includes students who were absent for any reason,” he said.
“In any well-structured system, when students miss exams, they’re given another opportunity—provided the system isn’t manipulated.”
Oloyede reiterated that the UTME is not an intelligence test but a selection mechanism for the limited admission slots available across Nigerian tertiary institutions.
He also addressed public backlash and allegations of bias, firmly denying any wrongdoing or ethnic prejudice.
“I take accountability because that’s what leadership entails,” he said. “But it’s troubling that some people interpret issues through ethnic lenses. We must move past that.”
Despite operational constraints, the registrar praised both candidates and staff for their endurance throughout the UTME process.
“We couldn’t afford to waste more time. The priority was ensuring students didn’t miss their window of opportunity,” he added.
JAMB assured candidates that the special exam will be conducted soon and promised continued transparency and equity in its processes.