Despite being directed to report at 6:30 a.m. for the mock
examination, candidates were reportedly left waiting without
clear communication or coordination from officials, causing
anxiety and confusion among students and their guardians.

Several candidates and their parents were left frustrated
and stranded for hours on Thursday at the CMS Grammar
School CBT Centre in Bariga, Lagos, during the 2025 Unified
Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) mock exam
conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board
(JAMB).

Despite being directed to report at 6:30 a.m. for the mock
examination, candidates were reportedly left waiting
without clear communication or coordination from officials,
causing anxiety and confusion among students and their
guardians,.

“The kids were asked to report at 6:30 am. As I speak with
you, nothing has happened. Some of the kids have not had
breakfast. This is bad organisation,” one of the affected
parents said

JAMB introduced the mock exam as a preparatory test
ahead of the main UTME. It is meant to help candidates
familiarise themselves with the Computer-Based Test (CBT)
environment.

However, the process descended into chaos at the Lagos
centre, with parents expressing frustration over poor
management and lack of information

“The problem is that there is no communication from the
officials. We are all stranded for several hours now. Our
children are inside unattended to. This is an exam that
should not ordinarily take more than 1 to 2 hous. Some
people have been here as early as 5am and this is after 2pm.
We are still there. Nothing has been done,” another parent
lamented.

JAMB announced that over 200,000 candidates across the
country registered to participate in the 2025 mock
examination scheduled for Monday, April 8.

The examination was to take place in selected accredited
CBT centres nationwide, and JAMB promised a smooth
process and technical upgrades to enhance performance
monitoring.

However, candidates at CMS Grammar School, one of the
officially accredited centres, faced delays of up to eight
hours. Many were left unattended; others complained of
fatigue, hunger, and lack of direction

The experience has once again raised concerns about the
efficiency and preparedness of some JAMB-approved CBT
centres, despite repeated assurances by the board of
improved logistics and digital infrastructure in recent years,

This comes amid controversies surrounding reports that the
JAMB disbursed N397,030,900 in transport allowances to
1,909 officials involved in the 2025 Mock Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination

During a recent meeting in Abuja, the board’s Director of
Finance, Mr. Mufutau Bello, shared this information to
review JAMB’s preparedness for both the mock examination
and the main UTME

Bello, emphasising the national significance of the
examinations, revealed that the amount disbursed so far
represents only the first tranche of payments, covering one-
third of the officials participating in the process