The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it will introduce a pre-registration mobile application and enhanced biometric checks ahead of the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to ease registration and curb examination malpractice.
JAMB Registrar, Segun Aina, disclosed this on Saturday in Abuja after a five-kilometre walk organised for the board’s staff as part of preparations for the 2027 examination.
He said the platform would enable prospective candidates to retrieve their details from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), fill in their biodata and select their preferred subjects, courses and institutions before visiting registration centres.
According to him, the platform would also provide information on admission requirements, including previous years’ entry marks for candidates’ preferred courses, to help them make informed choices.
“There are a lot of innovations that are coming up. Now we are rolling out what we are calling a pre-registration application,” he said.
Aina explained that the application would reduce the time candidates spend at registration centres, particularly during biometric capture.
He also said the board would introduce a system to prevent 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, Aina said JAMB would enhance biometric verification during the UTME to prevent impersonation and other forms of examination malpractice.
He added that the board was introducing some concessions to make registration less stressful, including greater flexibility in correcting candidates’ biodata.
Aina said the board also plans to introduce a feature that will allow candidates to report questions they consider faulty during the examination, adding that it would review such reports to determine whether the questions contain errors.
He further disclosed that candidates would be able to rate their computer-based test (CBT) centres after the examination, providing feedback on their experiences and helping the board monitor service delivery by its private-sector partners.
