The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revised the schedule for the first session of the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), moving candidates’ required arrival time at Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.
Under the revised arrangement, the first UTME session will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 10:30 a.m. JAMB said the one-hour adjustment responds to safety and logistical concerns associated with candidates travelling to examination centres in the early hours, particularly those who live far from their assigned centres.
The board announced the change in its weekly bulletin following deliberations at its 2026 Management and Information Technology Retreat in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, held from September 6 to 11.
JAMB said the review was intended to make the examination process safer and more convenient while reducing the possibility of candidates missing their sessions because of difficulties travelling before dawn.
The revised timetable affects the first examination session specifically.
Under the new arrangement:
- Candidate arrival: 7:30 a.m.
- Examination begins: 8:30 a.m.
- Examination ends: 10:30 a.m.
- Previous arrival time: 6:30 a.m.
- Adjustment: One-hour delay in candidate arrival
JAMB said the examination itself will therefore still have a two-hour duration, while candidates will have additional time to travel to their assigned CBT centres without having to begin their journeys as early as previously required.
The board’s decision comes months before the 2027 UTME, indicating that JAMB is addressing operational issues ahead of the examination rather than waiting for problems to emerge during the exercise.
The adjustment also reflects the logistical challenge created by the nationwide nature of the UTME, which requires candidates to report to designated CBT centres across different states and locations.
JAMB said safety considerations were central to its decision.
The earlier 6:30 a.m. reporting requirement meant some candidates, particularly those assigned to centres located considerable distances from their homes, could have needed to travel before daylight.
The board said public concerns about such journeys formed part of the issues examined during the September management retreat.
JAMB’s review considered the potential effect of early-morning travel on:
- Candidate safety;
- Transportation logistics;
- Timely arrival at CBT centres;
- Attendance and absenteeism;
- The overall examination experience.
According to the board, allowing candidates to arrive one hour later could ease some of these challenges without altering the two-hour duration of the first session.
JAMB clarified that the adjustment applies to the first session.
Other sessions will continue under the established scheduling arrangements, although candidates should wait for the board’s complete 2027 UTME timetable and subsequent official announcements before making final travel plans.
This distinction is important because candidates sitting later sessions should not assume that the 7:30 a.m. arrival time applies to their own examination.
Although the 2027 UTME is still months away, JAMB said preparations are already underway.
The board used the management and IT retreat to examine ways of improving the efficiency, safety and credibility of the examination process. Its management, state coordinators, heads of outstation offices and other stakeholders participated in the discussions.
The early review gives JAMB an opportunity to incorporate lessons from previous examinations into the 2027 exercise.
The board’s preparations are particularly important because the UTME remains a major gateway for candidates seeking admission into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and other tertiary institutions.
JAMB’s current systems already rely heavily on digital processes, including computer-based testing, biometric verification and centralised admissions procedures. The board’s official website identifies the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) and Centres Management System among its core operational platforms.
Candidates preparing for the 2027 UTME should treat the latest adjustment as an early scheduling update rather than the complete examination timetable.
JAMB has advised candidates and other stakeholders to await further official communication concerning the full calendar and other examination arrangements.
Candidates should therefore:
- Check JAMB’s official channels regularly for timetable updates.
- Confirm their assigned CBT centre once examination details become available.
- Plan transportation based on the specific session allocated to them.
- Avoid relying on unofficial social media timetables.
- Arrive at the centre within the time specified by JAMB for their particular session.
JAMB’s established registration system also requires candidates to use their National Identification Number (NIN), while biometric verification remains part of the examination process.
The decision to push back the first-session arrival time highlights an issue that extends beyond examination administration: the safety of millions of young candidates travelling to unfamiliar locations.
For candidates in rural communities or areas where public transportation begins operating later in the morning, very early reporting times can create additional challenges. The adjustment gives those candidates more time to travel in daylight while maintaining the planned examination duration.
The change also places greater emphasis on the need for accurate centre allocation. A candidate assigned to a centre far from home may face substantially different travel conditions from someone living close to the examination venue.
JAMB’s decision suggests that candidate experience and logistics are increasingly being considered alongside examination integrity and technology in planning the national exercise.
JAMB is expected to release additional details as preparations for the 2027 UTME progress. Until then, the confirmed change concerns the first session’s arrival time, which has shifted from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.
The examination for that session will begin at 8:30 a.m. and finish at 10:30 a.m.
For prospective candidates, the immediate priority is to follow official JAMB announcements and avoid making assumptions about other sessions until the full timetable is released.
The adjustment ultimately represents an attempt to balance examination efficiency with the practical realities candidates face when travelling to CBT centres across Nigeria.
