Federal Government has proposed March 15 to 25, 2027, for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), with other major secondary school examinations scheduled between April and July to enable eligible candidates to begin tertiary admission processes by September 2027.
The proposed harmonised timetable, announced by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Thursday, October 22, 2026, is aimed at reducing examination clashes, improving coordination among examination bodies and ensuring the timely release of results.
Under the proposed schedule, the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination will hold from April 1 to May 14, while the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is scheduled for May 11 to June 18.
The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) examinations are proposed for June 1 to July 5, while the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) examinations will run from June 10 to July 9.
JAMB said the Federal Government was working with the examination bodies to align their schedules and ensure that results were released early enough for candidates to pursue admission into tertiary institutions.
The board explained that the initiative would minimise timetable clashes, strengthen coordination among examination bodies and facilitate the timely processing and release of results.
It added that the arrangement was designed to enable qualified candidates to commence tertiary admission processes by September 2027.
However, JAMB clarified that the dates were proposed timelines and not final examination dates, urging candidates to follow official announcements from the respective examination bodies for confirmation of the schedules.
The overlap between NECO running to May 14 and WASSCE starting May 11 stands out, since candidates taking both could still face a two-exam crunch in that window. Before treating these dates as settled, check the final timetable from each body once released and map your own subject dates on a single calendar, marking any day where two papers fall close together. That makes it easier to raise conflicts early rather than discovering them weeks before the exam.