The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced plans to conduct a mop-up examination for candidates who missed the recently concluded 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The announcement was made on Wednesday by JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja. According to him, the decision was made to ensure that no eligible candidate is left behind, regardless of the reason for missing the initial exam.
“This time, we are creating a new mop-up. Even those who missed the earlier exam due to absence will get another opportunity,” Oloyede stated. “It’s not extraordinary. In any serious system, when students miss an exam, they’re allowed to make up, provided there’s no abuse.”
Official figures show that over 5.6 per cent of registered candidates were unable to sit for the 2025 UTME. While JAMB has held mop-up exams in previous years, this latest effort is more inclusive, extending the chance to even those who were simply absent.
Professor Oloyede also reiterated that the UTME is a placement test designed to rank candidates competing for limited admission slots into tertiary institutions, not a test of intelligence. “Its purpose is to rank candidates for limited admission slots, not to test how smart someone is,” he said.
He also addressed public concerns and speculation surrounding the exam process. Refuting allegations of ethnic bias and operational inefficiency, Oloyede assured stakeholders that the board remains committed to fairness and transparency in its processes.
