The possibility of shifting the date for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is very high, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said yesterday.
The Registrar of the board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, said during a virtual meeting with 2021 UTME Committee members that over 600,000 candidates who indicated interest in sitting for the exams, were yet to register.
The exam is scheduled for between June 5 and June 19.
He said the candidates were finding it difficult to register due to the challenges of National Identification Number (NIN).
He said so far, 1.1 million candidates have registered for the 2021 UTME, stating that the board anticipated approximately 1.9 million registrations at the end of the exercise.
The JAMB boss noted that though 50 per cent of candidates have already registered without problem, there is need to carry everyone along.
He said: “The possibility of shifting the exam forward is still high; but that will be determined after our meeting with stakeholders.
â€This is because about 600,000 candidates who have indicated interest in the exam are yet to register. There is a need to give everyone the opportunity.â€
Oloyede apologised for the new initiatives introduced in the 2021 UTME, saying that it was not to punish candidates but to expose candidates in the habit of indulging in various forms of malpractices.
He added that candidates were expected to provide two pictures on the candidate slip, picture of the person who registered at the JAMB office, and a picture of the owner of the name who registered with NIN.
He asked candidates to take note of the process, adding that the essence was to detect any disparity in the process.
