Over 1.8 Million Candidates Will Be Writing the 2019 UTME

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it has registered over 1.8 million candidates for the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The Head, Media and Information of the board, Dr Fabian Benjamin, disclosed this in an interview with the Newsmen on Thursday in Lagos. Registration of candidates for the all Computer Based Test (CBT) commenced on Feb. 10 and terminated on Feb. 21. Benjamin said that the registration was a huge success, adding that there were no hitches at all across the various accredited registration centres nationwide. “We have concluded the registration and we recorded over 1.8 million candidates for the UTME this year. “Registration closed on Feb. 21, when we stopped the pin vending for the exercise. “However, some candidates who had acquired the pin but were unable to register before Feb. 21, due to one reason or the other, were allowed to do so till 12 midnight, Feb. 25. “The registration finally closed on Feb. 25,  he said. The JAMB spokesman dismissed rumours in some quarters that candidates could start printing their examination notification slip from March 2. “This is misleading and absolutely not correct. “Let me sound it clearly that the board has not come up with any date for both the examination and the printing of examination notification slip for candidates. “The board will announce the date for the 2019 UTME soon. “As it is now, no date has been fixed yet for both the examination and the printing of examination notification slip. “The examination slips are usually printed, two weeks to the main examination, but that is only after when the examination date has been fixed. “There is no way anybody can print examination notification slip when the examination date, itself, has not been fixed.” He, therefore, urged candidates and other stakeholders to remain calm, reassuring them that the board would make announcement and proper sensitisation about the date for the examination and printing of examination notification slip.