The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced April 8 for the commencement of the registration for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The examination is scheduled to hold between June 5th and 19th, the agency said.
The examination body, which is responsible for the conduct of the entrance examination into the nation’s tertiary institutions, took the decision at the meeting of its governing board held on March 22.
According to a statement issued by the board and signed by the head of the public affairs and protocol unit, Mr Fabian Benjamin, both the UTME and the direct entry forms will be on sale concurrently.
It, however, added that for any prospective candidates to be registered, the National Identification Number (NIN) is mandatory.
The NIN, which is a unique number that identifies individuals, is issued by the country’s National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) upon enrolment.
“For any person to be registered for UTME/DE, he/she must supply his/her National Identity Number (NIN). It is therefore mandatory for participation in the 2021 Registration Exercise,” the statement reads in part.
JAMB had in the past made the NIN mandatory for the candidates willing to register for its examinations but later announced the cancellation of the policy following the harrowing experiences of the candidates at the various registration centres.
Meanwhile, the examination body has retained the cost of registration at N3,500 and an additional N500 for the mandatory purchase of reading texts for the candidates.
It added that the forms will be on sale across 700 centres nationwide between April 8 and May 15, while the examination is scheduled to hold between June 5 and June 19, 2021.
The statement added; “Candidates are also to note that the registration for DE applicants would run concurrently with that of UTME candidates. There would be no extension of time for the sale of the UTME/DE application documents.
“Optional Mock will be held on Friday, 30th April, 2021 for those who indicate interest and registered before 24th of April, 2021.”
JAMB urged candidates to check its websites for other registration processes and requirements.
Many candidates who are currently seeking admission to various higher institutions in the 2020/2021 calendar year may face dicey situations as the ongoing admission across various institutions is expected to be concluded by June 15.
Confirming the date to our reporter, Mr Benjamin said all academic institutions are expected to have concluded the admission processes by June 15.
This may, however, subject the candidates who might not be sure of their admission status to a difficult situation.
Failure to secure admission by June 15 and their failure to be registered for the 2021 UTME which is billed to close by May 15, could make them wait till 2022 before they could sit another examination.
