JAMB has moved the 2026 UTME first session arrival time from 6:30 am to 7:00 am, giving candidates and parents 30 extra minutes to reach examination centers safely.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board announced the change on Monday via its official X handle. The adjustment affects only first-session candidates. Every other aspect of the examination schedule remains unchanged.
This decision directly responds to a concern that thousands of Nigerian families raised: getting children to CBT centers before dawn, across roads that are poorly lit, poorly secured, and poorly served by public transport.
What the New 2026 UTME Timetable Actually Says
The first session now starts at 8:30 am and closes at 10:30 am. Candidates must arrive by 7:00 am. JAMB confirmed four daily sessions will run Monday through Friday across CBT centers nationwide.
The board was direct on one point that will relieve many candidates. No one needs to reprint their examination slip. The slip in your hand right now is still valid. Show up with it.
JAMB's official statement read: "This is to notify you of a slight adjustment to the arrival scheduled time, particularly for the first session, which is now 7:00 am as opposed to the earlier published 6:30 am."
Why This Change Matters for Candidates
Nigeria's UTME is one of the largest university entrance examinations in Africa. Over 1.9 million candidates registered for the 2026 sitting. A significant portion of those candidates live far from their assigned CBT centers.
The original 6:30 am arrival time created a real problem. Candidates in Lagos, Kano, Enugu, and other major cities faced the choice of sleeping near their centers or leaving home before 5:00 am. For families in peri-urban and rural areas, that meant traveling on roads before commercial transport even started running.
The 30-minute shift to 7:00 am does not solve every logistical challenge. But it removes the most dangerous window, pre-dawn travel on unlit roads for hundreds of thousands of young Nigerians taking one of the most important examinations of their lives.
Parents and candidates pushed back on the original schedule loudly. JAMB listened and moved quickly. The examination is nine days away.
Key Details Every 2026 UTME Candidate Needs Right Now
The examination window runs from Thursday, April 16, to Saturday, April 25, 2026. Four sessions run daily from Monday to Friday. The adjustment applies specifically to the first session across all centers.
Here is what candidates must do before April 16:
Confirm your center location and map the route today, not the morning of your exam. Identify your transport option and have a backup. Arrive before 7:00 am, not at 7:00 am. Bring your existing examination slip; no reprint required.
JAMB has also delisted 23 CBT centers ahead of this examination. If your center appears on that list, check the JAMB portal immediately for your reassignment. Showing up at a delisted center on exam day with no alternative plan is a risk no candidate should take.
The board has deployed security across examination centers nationwide in coordination with the Nigeria Police Force. Candidates with concerns about safety at their specific center should contact JAMB directly through official channels before the examination begins.
One adjustment does not fix Nigeria's broader examination logistics crisis. But it signals that JAMB is paying attention to the human reality its candidates navigate every single morning, and that is worth acknowledging.
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