2m Candidates Eye Varsity Admission As 2025 UTME Kicks Off

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has commenced the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), with over 2 million candidates nationwide aiming to secure admission into various universities.

According to JAMB, more than 2,030,627 candidates who successfully registered for the UTME are set to take the examination at over 784 Computer-Based Testing (CBT) centres across all 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The examination runs from April 24 to May 5, 2025.

LEADERSHIP visited several CBT centres in the FCT and observed that the examination began with the 6:30 a.m. session, during which thousands of candidates sat for the first exam batch in various accredited centres nationwide.

At many centres, biometric screening for the early morning session began at 6:00 am, followed by system logins.

A visit to some examination centres in the FCT revealed that, while the exercise was overwhelmingly smooth, there were minor hitches at the start at some centres, particularly with connection issues. However, the technical officers attached to the centres promptly addressed these issues.

At Government Secondary School Lugbe, the process was orderly and peaceful. Candidates who arrived as early as 6:00 a.m. for the 7:00 a.m. session were screened at the school‘s entrance gate.

Parents and relatives who accompanied the candidates were kept at a distance and not allowed entry into the school premises, thanks to the combined efforts of the school’s internal security guards and officers from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The officers ensured tight security at the centre, as part of a collaborative arrangement with JAMB.

One awaiting candidate, Kelvin, who arrived at 6:30 am, said the accreditation process went smoothly. “My mother drove me here as early as 6:00 am. I did my accreditation before 7:00 am, and everything is going smoothly,” he said.

At the Sascon International School CBT centre, candidates reported a smooth and hitch-free experience. Emmanuel Ezegwu, a returning candidate, said the exam was easier than in previous years. “This centre is better. I wrote this exam last year, and I can tell you that the experience this year is commendable. There are no issues as far as I am concerned,” he stated.

Vitoria Bilala, an 18-year-old first-time candidate, described her experience as good, despite feeling a little nervous during the exam. “I commend how they organise the exam because there were few or no hitches at this centre. At first, I had a technical problem, but I immediately called the supervisor, and it was resolved. I felt nervous because it was my first time writing this exam,” she said.

The centre supervisor, Emmanuel Adaji, noted that out of 200 candidates slated for the exam, only 11 were absent. He also addressed the issue of late candidates, which led to rescheduling some exams.