The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has moved the reporting time for candidates sitting the first session of the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., following concerns over the safety and logistics of early-morning travel.
Under the revised arrangement, candidates in the first session are expected to arrive at their Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres by 7:30 a.m., while the examination will hold from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
The adjustment comes months after similar concerns forced JAMB to alter the first-session schedule for the 2026 UTME. In April, the board moved the arrival time from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. after complaints about the difficulties candidates and their parents faced getting to examination centres early in the morning.
The issue had become particularly significant for candidates posted to centres far from their homes, with some having to begin their journeys before dawn to meet the reporting time. Concerns were raised over transportation, security and the welfare of candidates, many of whom are teenagers.
JAMB said the latest adjustment followed deliberations at its 2026 Management and Information Technology Retreat held in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, from September 6 to 11.
According to the board, the retreat considered concerns from members of the public about the implications of requiring candidates to travel to examination centres in the early hours of the morning. It said the later reporting time was intended to make the examination safer and more convenient and could also reduce absenteeism linked to early-morning travel difficulties.
The decision suggests that concerns raised during the 2026 examination cycle have informed preparations for the next UTME, rather than waiting until candidates begin experiencing similar difficulties.
JAMB said other examination sessions would retain their existing arrangements. It added that preparations for the 2027 UTME had already begun, with lessons from previous examinations being incorporated into plans for the next exercise.
The board said its wider objective was to improve the efficiency, safety, credibility and overall experience of candidates as the scale of the UTME continues to grow.
Candidates and parents have been advised to take note of the new first-session reporting time and await the full 2027 UTME timetable and further instructions from JAMB.
