JAMB adjusts arrival time for 2026 UTME

Following concerns raised at different quarters concerning early morning time scheduled for arrival and examination, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced a slight adjustment to the arrival time for candidates sitting the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), particularly those scheduled for the first session.

In a notice issued via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, the board stated that candidates for the first session are now expected to arrive at their examination centres by 7:00 a.m., instead of the earlier scheduled 6:30 a.m.
JAMB added that the examination will commence at 8:30 a.m. and end at 10:30 a.m.
“Attention 2026 UTME Candidates: This is to notify you of a slight adjustment to the arrival scheduled time, particularly for the first session, which is now 7:00am as against the earlier published 6:30am, while the scheduled start time for the session is now 8:30 am and end time 10:30 am,” the notice read.
The board also clarified that candidates are not required to reprint their examination slips following the adjustment.
JAMB further explained that the full daily timetable includes four sessions running from Monday to Friday, with adjusted timings across all batches to ensure smoother operations at Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide.
The adjustment follows feedback from candidates and parents, especially regarding:
Safety concerns with early morning travel
Difficulty reaching centres before dawn
Logistical challenges for candidates coming from distant locations
The UTME is scheduled to hold from Thursday, April 16 to Saturday, April 25, 2026.