The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has introduced a mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination for candidates below the age of 16.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, explained that the mock UTME is not for the purpose of tertiary institution admission but for underage seeking to test their ability.
Oloyede spoke on Sunday at a meeting with media executives in Lagos, where he also announced that this year’s UTME will hold on March 8, 2025.
READ ALSO: Afe Babalola Backs Down, Withdraws Defamation Suits Against Farotimi After Ooni, Monarchs’ Intervention
“We are starting the sale of forms on the 31st of January till 5th of March. There will be a mock exam on the 23rd of February and on the 8th of March there will be UTME,” the JAMB Registrar said.
According to the don, candidates who do not desire admission for 2025 but wish to have CBT experience could register for mock only for trial testing.
He noted that the sale of Direct Entry application documents and e-PIN vending would commence on March 10 and April 7.
Oloyede explained that those wishing to write UTME with mock would pay N8,200, UTME only (without mock) N7,200, trial-testing mock only (for underage or testing only) and direct entry candidate N5,700.
The JAMB registrar explained that the board would be enforcing the 16-year age limit for this year’s UTME registration, noting that only gifted candidates below 15 years old be allowed to register.
He added that to qualify to secure admission as an underage, the candidate must score not less than 280 marks in UTME and perform exceptionally in its senior secondary certificate and post-UTME examinations.
“The policy meeting on admission adopted 16 years as the minimum for 2024 admission. JAMB tried to assist by extending the date to accommodate more candidates, but we were taken to court to reverse the extension to 16 years,” he explained.
Former Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, announced last year that only candidates aged 18 and above would be admitted into tertiary institutions in the country.
