The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced plans for a special mop-up examination to accommodate candidates who missed the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). This decision affects over 5.6% of registered candidates.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, explained that the initiative aims to give all affected candidates—regardless of the reason for their absence—a second chance to sit for the 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.”
Oloyede also reiterated that the UTME is a placement test, not a measure of intelligence.
“Its purpose is to rank candidates for the limited number of available admission slots—not to assess how smart someone is,” he clarified.
Responding to criticisms and speculations about the integrity of the examination process, Oloyede dismissed claims of ethnic bias or administrative failure.
“I take responsibility, not because I failed, but because that’s what leadership demands.
I didn’t even realize people viewed issues around me through ethnic lenses. We must rise above such profiling.”
Despite logistical challenges, he commended both candidates and examination staff for their resilience and determination.
“We had limited space. We knew that if we wasted more time dwelling on the challenges, students would miss their opportunity,” he added.
JAMB has assured the public that the date for the mop-up examination will be announced soon and reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and fairness in the admissions process.
