The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has cautioned candidates sitting for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) against making desperate choices when selecting examination towns. In a statement released in Abuja yesterday, JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, clarified that the board does not assign exam towns but allows candidates to select based on availability.

Benjamin explained that 90% of available slots for the optional mock examination had already been filled nationwide, with only a few states—Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, and Yobe—still having open slots. He warned that some candidates were choosing distant towns in an attempt to secure a mock exam spot, only to later complain about being posted far from their locations.

He further emphasized that JAMB cannot be held responsible if candidates select towns far from their residences or home states. “Once a town’s capacity is reached, it will no longer be available for selection,” Benjamin noted, adding that the mock exam is not compulsory but rather an opportunity to experience the Computer-Based Test (CBT) environment and for JAMB to test its facilities.

The board urged all candidates to make their selections consciously, considering travel logistics and convenience to ensure a smoother examination process.