ABUJA, Nigeria — 15 September 2026: The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has moved the arrival time for candidates assigned to the first session of the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination from 6:30am to 7:30am. Under the revised arrangement, the first examination will start at 8:30am and end at 10:30am. JAMB said the one-hour shift responds to safety and logistical concerns about candidates travelling to CBT centres before dawn.
What is the new JAMB 2027 UTME first-session time? Candidates assigned to the first session should report to their designated CBT centres by 7:30am. The examination is scheduled to begin at 8:30am and finish at 10:30am. JAMB has not yet released the complete 2027 UTME timetable, so candidates should await further official communication.
The new first-session schedule
The change applies specifically to the first examination session. The Sun reported the following revised sequence:
Candidate arrival at the assigned CBT centre: 7:30am
Examination begins: 8:30am
Examination ends: 10:30am
Other sessions are expected to continue under JAMB’s established scheduling arrangements. The board advised candidates to wait for its complete timetable and related instructions before making final travel plans.
TVC News also reported that the decision followed JAMB ’s 2026 Management and Information Technology Retreat, held in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, from 6 to 11 September. Participants included management, state coordinators, heads of outstation offices and other stakeholders involved in examination operations.
The schedule change does not mean registration has opened, examination dates have been released or candidates have received centre assignments. Those are separate steps. Applicants should rely on notices published through JAMB’s official website and verified channels.
EDUCATION
JAMB 2027 UTME Time: First Session Moves to 8:30am
Sep 15, 2026
Sep 15, 2026
4 min read
Published
Updated:
ABUJA, Nigeria — 15 September 2026: The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has moved the arrival time for candidates assigned to the first session of the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination from 6:30am to 7:30am. Under the revised arrangement, the first examination will start at 8:30am and end at 10:30am. JAMB said the one-hour shift responds to safety and logistical concerns about candidates travelling to CBT centres before dawn.
What is the new JAMB 2027 UTME first-session time? Candidates assigned to the first session should report to their designated CBT centres by 7:30am. The examination is scheduled to begin at 8:30am and finish at 10:30am. JAMB has not yet released the complete 2027 UTME timetable, so candidates should await further official communication.
The new first-session schedule
The change applies specifically to the first examination session. The Sun reported the following revised sequence:
Candidate arrival at the assigned CBT centre: 7:30am
Examination begins: 8:30am
Examination ends: 10:30am
Other sessions are expected to continue under JAMB’s established scheduling arrangements. The board advised candidates to wait for its complete timetable and related instructions before making final travel plans.
TVC News also reported that the decision followed JAMB’s 2026 Management and Information Technology Retreat, held in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, from 6 to 11 September. Participants included management, state coordinators, heads of outstation offices and other stakeholders involved in examination operations.
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The schedule change does not mean registration has opened, examination dates have been released or candidates have received centre assignments. Those are separate steps. Applicants should rely on notices published through JAMB’s official website and verified channels.
Why JAMB moved the time
JAMB said the earlier 6:30am arrival requirement created practical and safety concerns, particularly for candidates who must travel long distances to reach assigned CBT centres. A pre-dawn journey can be harder to arrange, and transport delays may increase the risk of missing the first sitting.
Legit.ng’s report on the bulletin says the board expects the later arrival to improve safety and convenience and potentially reduce absence linked to early travel. The change gives candidates an extra hour, but it does not remove the need to arrive before the test begins.
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Candidates should treat 7:30am as the reporting time, not the start of the examination. Identity checks, biometric verification and other admission procedures at the CBT centre take place before the 8:30am start. Arriving at 8:30am could therefore be too late to complete entry checks.
What candidates should do now
The immediate step is simple: note the revised first-session time and wait for the full official timetable. Candidates do not need to pay anyone to “change” their session or reserve an early slot based on this announcement.
When registration details are released, use official systems and accredited CBT centres. XTRAfrica’s guide to generating a JAMB profile code with a NIN explains the recognised SMS method and common errors. The existing JAMB admission-status guide is for current admissions, not 2027 UTME registration.
The schedule update also has no connection to the separate policy requiring JAMB to centralise Higher National Diploma admissions. XTRAfrica’s HND admissions explainer covers that directive and the implementation details still awaited from JAMB and the National Board for Technical Education.
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Candidates and parents should be cautious about unofficial timetables, registration links and payment requests. A genuine schedule change does not validate every social-media graphic that repeats JAMB’s name. Confirm the web address before entering a NIN, phone number, registration number or payment-card information.
Details still awaiting release
JAMB had not published the full 2027 UTME calendar on the public bulletin index reviewed at the cutoff. The board still needs to provide registration dates, examination dates, session allocation procedures, approved fees and any new digital pre-registration instructions through accessible official notices.
The board may issue more operational guidance as preparations continue. Until then, the confirmed change is limited to the first session: arrive at 7:30am for an examination scheduled from 8:30am to 10:30am. Candidates assigned to later sessions should follow the time printed on their official examination slip when it becomes available.
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