The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced plans to take disciplinary action against 180 candidates who were caught attempting to compromise the integrity of its examinations.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, revealed this on Thursday during his monitoring of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) mock exercise across various Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres in the country.
According to him, the candidates fell into a trap set by the Board to identify individuals who patronize fraudulent websites promising exam assistance. He disclosed that some of the candidates paid up to ₦30,000 to these fake platforms in the hopes of gaining access to exam questions.
“We have created our own rogue website, and as of this morning, about 180 candidates have already paid into it in a bid to cheat,” Oloyede stated. “Attempting to cheat is an infraction on its own, and these candidates will face strict sanctions. Their UTME and Direct Entry (DE) results will be cancelled.”
The Registrar emphasized that the only reliable way to succeed in the UTME is through diligent preparation and study. He expressed concern over the growing number of candidates falling victim to online scammers and warned students to avoid sharing their registration details or relying on proxies for registration.
“The UTME is not a school-based exam, and we register students individually. Candidates should not be deceived by schools or individuals claiming they can guarantee high scores. Some institutions even mislead state officials into celebrating falsified results,” he added.
The 2025 UTME mock examination, which took place on Thursday, saw participation from over 211,000 candidates out of the 2 million registered for the main exam. The purpose of the mock exam, Oloyede explained, is to test the Board’s readiness and fine-tune new strategies for the actual UTME.
“The mock is not just for the candidates—it’s also for us to experiment with new ideas. As candidates get smarter, we must stay a step ahead, especially in curbing examination malpractice,” he said.
Oloyede confirmed that results of the mock examination would be released by Friday, following thorough cross-checking across multiple batches.
He concluded by urging candidates to shun shortcuts and fraudulent schemes, noting: “Some are paying ₦30,000 for something that will never work. When I see their names and the payments, I can only smile.”
The 2025 UTME is officially set to begin on April 25 at accredited CBT centres nationwide.
