The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced a new round of mop-up examinations for candidates who missed the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The move will benefit over 5.6% of students who were unable to take the test for various reasons, according to JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede. He made the announcement during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.
“This time, we are creating a new mop-up. Even those who missed the earlier exam due to absence will get another opportunity,” Oloyede said. “It’s not extraordinary. In any serious system, when students miss an exam, they’re allowed to make up—provided there’s no abuse.”
He explained that the UTME is not designed to measure intelligence, but rather to help place students into available university spaces. “Its purpose is to rank candidates for limited admission slots, not to test how smart someone is,” he added.
Addressing criticisms and conspiracy theories surrounding the exam, Oloyede dismissed claims of ethnic bias or poor management. “I take responsibility, not because I failed, but because that’s leadership,” he said. “We must rise above ethnic profiling.”
He also praised candidates and examination staff for their resilience, noting that logistical challenges had limited available testing centres. “We knew if we wasted more time grieving the challenges, students would lose their opportunity,” he said.
JAMB said the date for the special mop-up exam will be announced soon and reiterated its commitment to fairness, transparency, and equal opportunity in the university admissions process.