The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) plans to introduce a mobile pre-registration application ahead of the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The new platform will allow candidates to complete preliminary registration activities from home before visiting accredited centres.
JAMB Registrar, Professor Segun Aina, announced the initiative on Saturday in Abuja. He spoke after a five-kilometre fitness walk organised for the board’s staff.
Aina said candidates would retrieve their personal information from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). They could then enter their biodata and select preferred subjects, courses and institutions.
The application will also provide guidance on course and institution selection. Candidates will see previous admission requirements and entry marks for their preferred programmes.
According to Aina, this information will help candidates make choices that match their academic abilities. It will also reduce the time they spend at registration centres, especially during biometric capture.
JAMB Moves to Block Wrong Subject Combinations
The board also plans to introduce an automated system that will prevent candidates from choosing incorrect subject combinations.
The technology will flag incompatible subjects and stop candidates from proceeding with their applications until they select the correct combination.
“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,” Aina said.
The measure aims to reduce registration errors that could affect candidates’ admission prospects.
Tougher Biometric Checks to Curb Examination Malpractice
JAMB will also strengthen biometric verification at examination centres ahead of the 2027 UTME.
Aina said the board would use stricter identity checks to prevent impersonation and other examination irregularities.
He explained that JAMB had introduced some flexibility to help candidates correct their biodata. However, the board would balance those concessions with tougher verification during examinations.
“We have given up some ground and made some concessions to reduce trauma for the candidates in terms of being able to change their biodata and things like that. In exchange for that, we will be applying enhanced checks at the point of the examination to make sure that we protect the integrity of the system,” he said.
Candidates to Report Faulty Questions and Rate CBT Centres
The registrar also announced plans for a feedback feature on JAMB’s computer-based test platform.
Candidates will be able to flag questions they consider faulty while taking the examination. The board will collect the reports, investigate complaints and review disputed questions.
Aina added that candidates would also rate their experiences at computer-based test (CBT) centres after their examinations.
The feedback will help JAMB assess the services of private-sector CBT operators and demand better standards.
He commended the centres for supporting the examination since the board introduced computer-based testing more than a decade ago.
Aina said the planned innovations would improve registration, strengthen examination security and make the 2027 UTME more efficient.
