UTME 2026: JAMB revises first session’s arrival time to 7am

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has introduced reforms to arrival and start times for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). 

Particularly, first session candidates are now scheduled to arrive at their CBT centres by 7 am, as opposed to the previous 6:30 am. The examination will begin at 8:30 am.

JAMB, in a notice on Monday via its X account, noted that candidates do not need to reprint their slip/photocard. They are only expected to take note of the adjustment in preparation for the examination. 

“This is to notify you of a slight adjustment to the arrival scheduled time, particularly for the first session, which is now 7:00 am as against the earlier published 6:30 am, while the scheduled start time for the session is now 8:30 am and end time 10:30 am,” the board said in the post.

The critical adjustment follows public concerns about security issues affecting the first session’s candidates arriving at their respective venues as early as 6:30 am.

Adjustments to the first session also affect the other three sessions. Candidates for the second session are expected to arrive at their CBT centres by 9 am with a scheduled exam time at 11 am. 

Candidates in the third session are to arrive by 11 am and commence the exam by 1:30 pm, while candidates for the fourth session are to arrive by 3 pm and start their UTME by 4 pm.

Notably, the third session on Fridays has been reserved, suggesting that the board is making way for Friday JUMAT prayers. 

The 2026 UTME is scheduled to be held from Thursday, April 16, to Saturday, April 25, 2026. A total of 2,243,816 candidates will participate in the exercise.

Also Read: 46 CBT centres withdrawn for failing to meet JAMB standards.

Why JAMB is making time adjustment 

JAMB adjustment follows significant backlash from parents, candidates, and Nigerians regarding the early arrival times during the 2025 UTME. 

Candidates were expected to be at their CBT centres by 6:30 am for checks, often requiring students to wake up as early as 4:00 am for transit, causing immense stress, fatigue, and potential safety risks.

As such, stakeholders and Nigerians raised concerns about the danger of moving around at 4 am, especially at a time when there are serious security challenges in various parts of Nigeria.

In response, JAMB explained that the 90-minute to 1-hour early arrival policy is set to cater to biometric verification and other pre-examination formalities.  It added that late arrival could still occur without early check-in.

However, the new adjustment is expected to address concerns and provide relief for first-session candidates. Also, the adjustment becomes necessary as Nigeria’s insecurity issues have worsened compared to 2025.