Mock UTME: JAMB Delists 23 CBT Centres, Sanctions Others Over Technical Glitches

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has delisted 23 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres across the country over technical deficiencies detected during the 2026 Mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The Board also issued warnings to dozens of other centres found to have minor operational lapses, while declaring one centre in Lagos State permanently barred from participating in any of its future examinations.

JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, who announced this in a statement on Friday, emphasised the Board’s zero-tolerance stance on substandard examination facilities.

The placement exam body said its action followed a comprehensive post-examination review, describing the mock UTME as both a preparatory exercise for candidates and a critical quality assurance mechanism for its examination infrastructure.

“The Mock UTME serves as a platform to assess our level of preparedness and identify centres that fall short of the required operational and technical standards,” the Board stated.

According to the examination body, the delisted centres were in multiple states, including Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, and Plateau.

Among those delisted were centres in key urban hubs such as Abuja and Lagos, including facilities in Maitama and Lugbe in the FCT, as well as several locations across Ikorodu, Lekki, and Ejigbo in Lagos State.

JAMB said the decisive move underscored its commitment to maintaining the integrity of its examinations by ensuring that only centres that meet stringent technical and operational benchmarks were allowed to participate in the main UTME.

“Following the internal review mechanisms, the Board identified a number of centres that failed to meet these standards. Consequently, decisive steps have been taken… to ensure that only centres that are fully prepared and compliant participate,” it stated.

In addition to the delisted centres, a large number of CBT facilities nationwide were placed on notice and warned to upgrade their systems or risk similar sanctions.

The Board further singled out one Lagos-based centre, Ha-Shem Academy in Yaba, as no longer eligible to be used for any of its examinations, effectively blacklisting the facility.

JAMB reaffirmed that the measures were part of broader efforts to safeguard the credibility, transparency, and smooth conduct of the UTME, which remained Nigeria’s primary gateway into tertiary institutions.