The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has unveiled plans for an additional mop-up examination to accommodate the more than 5.6 per cent of candidates who were unable to participate in the recently concluded 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday, JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, announced the initiative, explaining that it would apply to all absentees, irrespective of the reason behind their inability to sit for the main exam.
“This time, we are creating a new mop-up. Even those who missed the earlier exam due to absence will get another opportunity,” Oloyede said.
“It’s not extraordinary. In any serious system, when students miss an exam, they’re allowed to make up—provided there’s no abuse.”
He clarified that the UTME is designed solely as a ranking mechanism for limited tertiary admission slots, not as a test of intelligence or academic brilliance.
“Its purpose is to rank candidates for limited admission slots, not to test how smart someone is,” he noted.
Responding to criticisms and speculations about the integrity of the examination process, the registrar dismissed any allegations of ethnic favoritism or mismanagement.
“I take responsibility, not because I failed, but because that’s leadership,” he stated.
“I didn’t even realise people viewed issues around me through ethnic lenses. We must rise above such profiling.”
Professor Oloyede also lauded the perseverance of both candidates and JAMB personnel who endured logistical setbacks during the UTME period.
“We had limited space. We knew if we wasted more time grieving the challenges, students would lose their opportunity,” he remarked.
JAMB is expected to announce the date for the special mop-up exercise soon and has reaffirmed its dedication to fairness, equity, and transparency in its admission processes.