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JAMB Preparation 2 min read

How JAMB Assigns Examination Towns and CBT Centres for UTME

F

Franklin Duru

Admissions & Curriculum Analyst

April 6, 2021

The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has clarified how candidates are assigned to Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), debunking claims that the Board arbitrarily posts candidates to towns they did not select.

JAMB clarifies issues regarding choice of exam centres for UTME candidates

Why You Choose an Exam Town, Not a Specific CBT Centre

  • Candidates Pick Exam Towns: During UTME registration, CBT centres are grouped into Examination Towns. Candidates choose their preferred Examination Town, and JAMB's automated system randomly assigns them to an accredited CBT centre within that chosen town to prevent collusion and examination malpractice.
  • Why Some Towns Become Unavailable: Every examination town has a fixed maximum CBT seating capacity. Once all centres in a particular examination town are filled up—which often happens when candidates wait until the final days of registration—that town closes on the drop-down menu, requiring late registrants to select the next available town.
  • Register Early: Under no circumstance does JAMB transfer a candidate out of their selected examination town. To guarantee a centre close to your home, register as early as possible before your town reaches capacity.

As you prepare for the exam, build your speed and confidence with the Mentra JAMB CBT app, available on both Android and iOS, featuring over 60,000 past questions and answers.

EDITORIAL VERIFICATION

Published by Mentra Academic Research

Every study guide, syllabus analysis, and timing breakdown is cross-checked against official examination criteria (JAMB UTME, POST-UTME, and WAEC) by subject matter specialists.

Community Discussion

Candidate Comments & Inquiries (2)

D

Damilola Alabi

Apr 6, 2021

Does this mean the CBT centre where I register is not necessarily the exact hall where I will write the exam?

M

Mentra Admissions Team

Apr 6, 2021

Exactly, Damilola. You can register at any accredited CBT centre, and JAMB's computer system will randomly assign you to one of the approved CBT exam halls within the Examination Town you selected.

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