JAMB to reschedule UTME candidates affected by technical disruptions

JAMB to reschedule UTME candidates affected by technical disruptions

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced plans to reschedule candidates affected by disruptions during the ongoing 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

The assurance was given on Friday by JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, during a monitoring visit by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education.

Benjamin addressed concerns raised by parents and candidates whose examinations were disrupted at the Good Success Computer-Based Test centre in Utako, Abuja.

He acknowledged the challenges encountered, describing them as part of the realities of conducting a nationwide examination of such scale, but stressed that the board remains committed to ensuring that no candidate is unfairly disadvantaged.

“Naturally, you should have one or two challenges here and there. It is not unusual, and I do not think there is anybody who will conduct the exam using one thousand centres and then expect that you would not have any problems. But the most important thing is that if this problem does occur, are you prepared to handle it? And that is what we have just done there.

“All candidates impacted will be rescheduled to write the examination at a later date and possibly at a different centre,” he said.

He added that JAMB has existing provisions, including a mop-up exercise, to accommodate candidates who miss their examinations due to unforeseen circumstances.

The board reiterated its commitment to ensuring that every registered candidate is allowed to sit for the UTME, assuring that those affected would be captured in the rescheduling process and the final mop-up exercise.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Mohammed Dandutse, who led the oversight visit, noted that both JAMB and CBT centres are grappling with operational difficulties.

However, he expressed confidence that the issues would be addressed.

“We have observed both progress and challenges. As part of our oversight responsibility, we will ensure these issues are addressed and that centres operate efficiently going forward,” Dandutse stated.

The UTME commenced nationwide on Thursday, with over two million candidates expected to participate.