JAMB Shifts 2027 UTME Arrival Time To 7:30am

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has adjusted the arrival time for candidates sitting the first session of the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), moving it from 6:30am to 7:30am.

JAMB said candidates for the first examination session are expected to arrive at their designated Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres by 7:30am, with the examination commencing at 8:30am and ending at 10:30am.

The adjustment, according to JAMB, is aimed at addressing safety and logistical concerns associated with very early-morning movements by candidates, particularly those travelling considerable distances to their examination centres.

The disclosure was contained in a statement issued by JAMB spokesperson and Acting Director, Public Affairs and Protocols, Dr Fabian Benjamin, on Monday.

Benjamin said the decision followed extensive deliberations at the Board’s 2026 Management and Information Technology Retreat held in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, from 6 September to 11, 2026.

He said concerns raised by members of the public about the implications of the previous early arrival time were carefully considered during the retreat.

According to him, “The adjustment is aimed at addressing concerns over the safety and logistical challenges associated with very early-morning movement by candidates, particularly those travelling considerable distances to their designated Computer-Based Test centres.”

He also said that the Board considered the difficulties candidates could encounter when travelling before dawn and concluded that a later arrival time would improve their safety and convenience.

Benjamin added that the new arrangement could also reduce the number of candidates who might miss their examinations due to difficulties with the earlier schedule.

Accordingly, the first UTME session will now have an arrival time of 7:30am, with the examination commencing at 8:30am and ending at 10:30am. The Board, however, said other examination sessions would continue to follow its established scheduling arrangements.

JAMB said the adjustment was one of the outcomes of the far-reaching deliberations at the 2026 Management and IT Retreat, which brought together members of the Board’s management, state coordinators, heads of outstation offices and other relevant stakeholders.