Safety concerns, technical failures and complaints over early reporting times have dominated discussions following the conduct of the 2026 Mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Saturday, March 28, 2026, with 227,896 candidates registered to participate in the exercise nationwide.
For the first time, JAMB extended the mock examination from the traditional two hours to four hours, conducted in two consecutive sessions. The first session ran from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., followed by the second session from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. JAMB noted that the adjustment was designed to give candidates sufficient exposure to the Computer Based Test (CBT) environment ahead of the main examination.
However, candidates were required to arrive at their designated CBT centres by 6:30 a.m. for biometric registration, a directive that drew sharp criticism from parents and school administrators. The Vice Principal of Chrisland School, Irondi Samuel, urged JAMB not to follow through on its threat to sanction candidates who failed to attend, stating, “Safety of life is priority over, and should be factored in, everything we do. It’s somebody alive that will write an exam.”
The Principal of Lumen Christi International High School, Otaigbe J., argued that 6:30 a.m. would not have been problematic under normal circumstances, adding, “With the uncertainties everywhere, nobody wants to move out of their houses that early, only to meet danger because they want to write an exam.”
The Guardian of Capital Science Academy, Egah Onakpa, disclosed that some of their students were posted to centres outside Abuja, including Nasarawa, Kaduna and Niger, making attendance difficult. “Attending the JAMB mock might not be feasible, based on the calls we’re getting from parents,” Mr Onakpa revealed, urging JAMB to reschedule or relocate centres for affected candidates.
The Vice Principal of Regina Pacis College, Laji Timothy, attributed the problem to an insufficient number of CBT centres, disclosing that the school deployed its bus as early as 5:00 a.m. to transport students. “If all schools should have CBT centres, then this issue of slotting many students in one CBT centre will reduce,” Mr Laji noted.
At a CBT centre in Kurudu, Abuja, candidates reported system malfunctions and unexpected timeouts. A parent who identified himself as Plangnam confirmed that his son faced repeated biometric challenges before eventually gaining entry with staff assistance. Another parent, who pleaded anonymity, reported a smoother experience, appealing to JAMB to “collate all the complaints and frustrations of candidates and CBT centre operators from across the country, analyse them critically, and make necessary corrections preparatory for the UTME.”
JAMB had warned that candidates who registered for the mock exercise but failed to attend would face consequences, stressing that absence deprives other interested candidates of the opportunity.
Last Updated on March 30, 2026 by Ola Funmilayo
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