Record-Breaking 2.03 Million Candidates Register for 2025 UTME as JAMB Sets Exam Date

• A record-breaking 2.03 million candidates have registered for the 2024 UTME, the highest in JAMB’s history
• The exam is set for April 25, with an optional mock test on April 5 to familiarize candidates with the system
• Over 41,000 applicants are below 16 years old, reflecting a growing trend of younger candidates seeking tertiary education

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that a record-breaking 2,030,627 candidates have registered for the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), marking the highest number of applicants in the board’s history.

The examination is scheduled to commence on April 25 across more than 700 computer-based test centers nationwide.

JAMB records highest candidates for a year

This year’s registration figures surpass the 1.9 million candidates who applied for the UTME in 2023.

Among the registered candidates, 41,026 are below the age of 16, reflecting a growing trend of younger students seeking admission into tertiary institutions.

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Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, confirmed the details during an interview in Abuja. He noted that the registration process, which concluded on March 8, excluded foreign candidates who will sit for the examination outside Nigeria.

“This is the highest number of registrations we have recorded in the history of the examination. These figures do not include foreign students who will write the exam abroad,” Benjamin stated.

JAMB announces optional mock exam for candidates

In preparation for the main examination, JAMB has organized an optional mock test scheduled for April 5. Over 200,115 candidates are expected to participate in the mock exam, designed to familiarize them with the computer-based testing system.

Benjamin emphasized that the mock exercise is not mandatory but serves as a valuable opportunity for candidates to gain confidence and experience ahead of the actual examination.

The board also plans to open registration for the Direct Entry (DE) examination, which allows candidates with advanced qualifications to gain admission into universities.

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“We hope to commence registration for Direct Entry tomorrow (today),” Benjamin added.

The surge in UTME applications highlights the increasing demand for tertiary education in Nigeria, as well as the growing reliance on JAMB as the central body for university admissions.

The board has consistently worked to streamline its processes, ensuring a seamless experience for millions of candidates annually.

'UTME 2025 not internet based' - JAMB Boss

Earlier, Legit.ng had reported that amid preparations for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) 2025, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) had, once again, reiterated that its computer-based test (CBT) is not internet-based.

JAMB, in its weekly bulletin obtained by Legit.ng on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, said its registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, stated this recently when the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Bwari, Abuja.

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During the visit, the registrar pointed out that the clarification became necessary given the erroneous belief in some quarters that the UTME is conducted using the internet and that it is the poor internet connectivity that is responsible for the

According to him, the board uses the local area network (LAN).

JAMB candidates who would be barred

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that JAMB stressed that candidates whose biometrics verification is unsuccessful on the examination day would not be permitted to sit the UTME or its mock version.

JAMB noted that no parent or proxy is allowed to make any transaction on candidates' profiles or interfere with the registration "to avoid alterations and data mismatch".

To curtail registration infractions, the board reiterated the readiness of its surveillance mechanisms to track down uncooperative operators noting that a seamless registration exercise is a requirement for a successful examination.

Source: Legit.ng