The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced a significant policy shift stating that no candidate for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will be allowed to sit for the examination outside the state in which they registered.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Public Communication Adviser to the Board, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said the decision was taken to uphold the integrity of the examination and improve logistical efficiency across the country.
According to JAMB, this new directive will put an end to the growing practice where candidates deliberately choose examination towns far from their residence or registration centres in the hope of being posted to their preferred locations. The board described the practice as counterproductive and a potential threat to the smooth conduct of the exercise.
Dr Benjamin noted that, in previous years, such conduct often resulted in avoidable delays, congestion, and in some cases, increased the risk of examination malpractice.
He said, “Henceforth, no candidate will be allowed to register for the UTME in one state and sit for the examination in another. This is to ensure candidates write the examination in their places of residence or where they registered.”
He assured that the board has put in place adequate measures to ensure all candidates are accommodated within their state of registration and that this new approach will contribute to a more seamless examination process.
JAMB urged candidates to be mindful of this policy while registering and to ensure that their personal details and choice of examination towns reflect their actual place of residence.
The 2025 UTME registration process is expected to commence in the coming weeks, and candidates are advised to follow all guidelines and updates as released by the examination body.
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