Candidates preparing for the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will have an additional hour to arrive at their designated centres for the first examination session, following a timetable adjustment by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
Under the new arrangement, candidates who were previously expected to report by 6:30 a.m. will now be required to arrive by 7:30 a.m., while the first session of the examination will commence at 8:30 a.m. and end at 10:30 a.m.
JAMB announced the adjustment in a bulletin issued on Monday, September 14, 2026, following deliberations at its 2026 Management and Information Technology Retreat held in Akwa Ibom State.
The Board explained that the earlier 6:30 a.m. arrival requirement presented safety and logistical difficulties, particularly for candidates travelling considerable distances to reach their examination centres.
The review is therefore expected to reduce the pressure on candidates who would otherwise have had to embark on very early journeys in order to meet the previous reporting deadline.
While the first session has been adjusted, JAMB said subsequent examination sessions would continue under the Board’s existing scheduling arrangements.
The latest decision represents a shift from focusing solely on examination timing to considering the practical circumstances candidates face before reaching their centres, especially those who live far from their assigned locations.
JAMB’s decision is expected to provide candidates with more reasonable travel time on examination days while maintaining the scheduled 8:30 a.m. commencement of the first session.
The development was reported by Legit.ng, which said it obtained the Board’s September 14 bulletin containing the revised arrangement.
