The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will introduce a pre-registration mobile application and enhanced biometric checks ahead of the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to improve candidates’ experience and curb examination malpractice….
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will introduce a pre-registration mobile application and enhanced biometric checks ahead of the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to improve candidates’ experience and curb examination malpractice.
JAMB Registrar, Segun Aina, announced the planned innovations on Saturday in Abuja after a five-kilometre walk organised for the board’s staff as part of preparations for the 2027 examination.
Aina said the proposed application would allow prospective candidates to retrieve their details from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), enter their biodata and select their preferred subjects, courses and institutions from home.
He said the platform would also provide candidates with advance guidance on admission requirements, including previous years’ entry marks for their preferred courses.
“There are a lot of innovations that are coming up. Now we are rolling out what we are calling a pre-registration application,” Aina said.
He explained that the information would help candidates make better-informed decisions about course and institution choices based on their academic abilities.
According to the registrar, the application would reduce the time candidates spend at registration centres, particularly during biometric capture.
Aina also said JAMB would introduce a system that prevents candidates from proceeding with their applications if they select subject combinations that do not meet the requirements for their chosen courses.
“Before now you could potentially make wrong subject choices for the course you intend to do. We are going to make that technically impossible, which means you cannot progress with your application if the subject combination is wrong,” he said.
On examination security, the registrar said the board would strengthen biometric verification during the actual UTME to protect the integrity of the examination and check malpractice.
He said the enhanced checks would accompany some concessions introduced to make registration less stressful for candidates, including greater flexibility in correcting biodata.
JAMB also plans to introduce a feature that will allow candidates to report questions they consider faulty during the examination.
Aina said the board would use the reports to review the questions and determine whether they contain errors.
Candidates would also be able to rate their computer-based test (CBT) centres after the examination, providing feedback on their experience and helping the board maintain standards among its private-sector partners.
The registrar said further innovations were being considered as the board prepares for the 2027 UTME.
