The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced a historic surge in applications for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), with a total of 2,030,627 candidates registered.
This marks the highest number of applications in the board’s history, surpassing the 1.9 million recorded in 2024, as detailed in their weekly bulletin released Monday.
The registration period for the UTME concluded on March 8th. This figure excludes candidates who registered to take the exam at JAMB’s international centers. In addition to the record-breaking UTME registrations, 200,115 candidates have signed up for the optional mock UTME, scheduled for April 5th, 2025.
“This year, the board implemented several innovative measures to deter cheating and maintain the integrity of the examination process,” JAMB stated in the bulletin.
“These measures have already led to multiple arrests of candidates attempting to use forged A-level results for admission, highlighting the effectiveness of the new system designed to detect such fraud.”
The board strongly advises all candidates to strictly adhere to the examination rules and regulations and to avoid any form of malpractice.
In related news, JAMB will commence the sale of Direct Entry (DE) application forms on Wednesday, March 12th, for candidates seeking admission into higher institutions via the Direct Entry route.
Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB’s Communications Advisor, confirmed this in a statement released Monday. He explained that the DE registration is specifically for individuals holding degrees, diplomas, or A-level certificates who wish to further their education at the university level.
According to Dr. Benjamin, the launch of DE application sales follows the successful completion of the UTME application period, which concluded on March 8th, 2025. He reiterated that alongside the UTME registrations, JAMB recorded 200,115 registrations for the Mock-UTME and 630 applications for the trial mock examination.
JAMB has emphasized the crucial importance of adhering to all entry requirements for Direct Entry applicants. “A special committee will verify all submitted Advanced A Level Qualifications, and any fraudulent results will lead to prosecution. Additionally, institutions are encouraged to directly verify certificates before considering admissions.” Dr. Benjamin stated. He stressed that DE registration can only be conducted at JAMB Professional Registration Centres (PRC).
