ABUJA, Nigeria – The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is planning to introduce a mobile pre-registration application and enhanced biometric checks for the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), in a move aimed at reducing registration delays, preventing candidate errors and curbing examination malpractice.
JAMB Registrar, Segun Aina, disclosed the planned reforms in Abuja on Saturday 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 begin their registration process from home by retrieving their personal information from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
Through the app, candidates would be able to enter their biodata, select their preferred subjects, courses and institutions before visiting an accredited registration centre for the required biometric capture. The registrar said the platform would also provide candidates with additional guidance to help them make informed academic choices.
For instance, candidates selecting a course would be able to view information about the entry marks recorded for that course in the previous year. According to Aina, this would help applicants assess their options based on their academic performance.
The pre-registration process is also expected to reduce the time candidates spend at registration centres when completing their UTME registration and biometric capture. Aina said JAMB would introduce technical safeguards to prevent candidates from submitting applications with subject combinations that do not meet the requirements of their intended courses.
He explained that the system would stop candidates from proceeding with their applications if they selected an incorrect subject 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,” he said.
The board also plans to strengthen biometric verification during the examination to protect the integrity of the UTME and discourage impersonation and other forms of malpractice. Aina said the board had introduced some concessions to make registration less stressful, including allowing certain changes to candidates’ biodata. However, he noted that these adjustments would be accompanied by stricter identity checks at examination centres.
Beyond registration and biometric verification, JAMB is planning new features that will allow candidates to report questions they consider faulty during the computer-based test. Aina said the proposed reporting button would enable candidates to flag questions for the board’s review.
He acknowledged that candidates sometimes mistake difficult questions for faulty ones but said the feedback would provide JAMB with information to examine disputed examination items and assess whether they were properly set.
Candidates would also be able to rate their experiences at computer-based test (CBT) centres after completing their examinations. According to Aina, the feedback mechanism would help the board assess the quality of services provided by its private-sector partners, who have supported the CBT system for more than a decade.
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