The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says about 947,000 candidates have so far sat for this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) within the last two days. 

The Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, JAMB,  Dr Fabian Benjamin who made the disclosure after monitoring the ongoing UTME alongside Registrar of JAMB, Professor Is-haq Oloyede and others in Abuja assured that everyone registered for the exam would be given the opportunity to take part in the exercise.  According to him, the Board has resolved the technical hitches that were experienced in some centres across the Country On the first day of the UTME. 

"This is the best exam we have  had over a period of time, but I know many will like to contest that because of what happened on Tuesday, but I know if you have been in the system and be following our exams, you will know that the first day is always turbulent, as we progress we stabilise and continue the exercise. And one assurance we want to give Nigerians, is that every  candidate that has registered for this examination, he or she will certainly be given the opportunity to take the examination." said Benjamin

He assured candidates that had issues of steps being taken to address them. JAMB Spokesman said "On the first day, there were candidates who were unable to sit for the examination because of technical issues and we have rescheduled those candidates, some of them are taking the exam as we speak and some will also take tomorrow. We urge candidates particularly those who could not sit for yesterday's exercise  to continue to check their profile and print their slip as we reschedule them for the examination." 

On when the results of the examination would be released, Dr Fabian said the management would announce the results soon. 

" We are looking at the results and by the grace of God, we will release the first batch of the results soon," he said.

On the number of candidates that have encountered technical issues in sitting for the examination, Benjamin said : "In the last two days, excluding today, we have examined 947, 000 candidates. Out of the 947,000 candidates we had issues with about 60,000 candidates and these candidates are being rescheduled (for the exam). 

" If you are to give a pass mark, out of 900,000, you had issue with 60,000, it is a fair share, but that is not to say even if it is one candidate that is unable to sit for the exam we are not concerned," Fabian said, even as he assured that all candidates will sit for the exam. 

Recall that over 1.5 million registered for the 2023 UTME which commenced on April 25th and is expected to end on 3rd May.