UTME 2026: JAMB assures candidates rescheduled exams amid problems

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says candidates affected by technical issues will be reassigned to the new Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) dates and centres.

JAMB said the move is aimed at ensuring that no registered candidate is denied the opportunity to sit the exam.

The council’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, gave the assurance during the monitoring of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund on the ongoing UTME in Abuja on Friday, April 17, 2026.

Benjamin spoke while responding to concerns raised by parents and candidates affected by technical disruptions at the Good Success Computer-Based Test (CBT) Center in Utako area of ​​Abuja.

He said the board anticipated minor operational challenges, considering the national scope of the exam, saying it had put mechanisms in place to address them promptly.

Benjamin assured that JAMB will continue to reschedule affected candidates where necessary and will also conduct make-up examination for those who are unable to write due to failures of the centre.

He explained that the collection operation was designed to accommodate candidates whose exams were disrupted, stressing that the council remains committed to meeting its obligations to all registered candidates.

Benjamin added that only a few of the 957 centers nationwide have experienced operational failures.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Mohammed Dandutse, acknowledged that although progress had been made in the conduct of the examination, several challenges still required urgent attention.

Dandutse said the committee would intensify oversight to ensure improvements in JAMB’s operations and prevent the recurrence of technical disruptions.

He noted that the committee had directed JAMB to take immediate corrective measures to enable the affected candidates to sit the examination without further difficulty.

The senator assured that the National Assembly will review the council’s activities and work to ensure that all CBT centers operate efficiently.

Meanwhile, some parents and candidates have expressed dissatisfaction with the repeated postponements.

A parent, David Afolayan, said his daughter was unable to take the exam after reporting to the center for two consecutive days due to a network failure.

Afolayan questioned why the long-standing technical problems were not resolved despite legislative oversight of the education sector, stressing that candidates incurred significant transportation expenses.

One candidate, Eunice Peter, who traveled from Kaduna State, said she spent money on transportation and accommodation but was unable to sit the exam on both scheduled days.

He appealed to authorities to address logistical challenges to reduce the financial and emotional burden on candidates.

The UTME, which entered its second day on Friday, is conducted nationwide through accredited CBT centres.

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