The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revised the schedule for candidates taking the first session of the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), moving the required arrival time from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.

Under the revised arrangement, the first examination session will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 10:30 a.m. Other sessions will continue according to the examination schedule to be released by the Board.

JAMB said the adjustment was prompted by concerns over the safety and logistical difficulties faced by candidates who have to travel long distances to their designated Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres in the early hours of the morning.

The decision followed deliberations at the Board’s 2026 Management and Information Technology Retreat held in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, from September 6 to 11.

According to the Board, feedback from members of the public highlighted the risks associated with requiring candidates, many of whom are young people, to begin travelling before dawn in order to meet the earlier 6:30 a.m. arrival deadline.

JAMB explained that the one-hour adjustment is intended to make the examination process safer and more convenient for candidates. The Board also expects the change to reduce absenteeism linked to difficulties with early-morning transportation and travel.

The examination body said it had reviewed its operational procedures in preparation for the 2027 UTME, taking into consideration lessons from previous exercises and the growing scale of the examination.

JAMB noted that preparations for next year’s examination were already underway, with emphasis on improving efficiency, safety, credibility and the overall experience for candidates.

Candidates have been advised to take note of the revised first-session arrival time and await further official information regarding the complete 2027 UTME timetable and other examination arrangements.

The latest adjustment follows a similar change made for the 2026 UTME, when JAMB moved the first-session arrival time from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. amid concerns over candidates travelling to examination centres before daylight.

For the 2027 examination, candidates assigned to the first session should therefore plan to arrive at their designated CBT centres by 7:30 a.m., with the examination scheduled to commence at 8:30 a.m.