Candidates sitting the first session of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination have been given a slightly later start to their morning, after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board revised the required arrival time from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., effective from the opening day of the examination on 16 April 2026.

The board announced the adjustment via its official X handle on Monday, confirming that while the arrival time has shifted, the examination session itself will still begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 10:30 a.m. Candidates do not need to reprint their examination slips as a result of the change.

"Attention 2026 UTME Candidates: This is to notify you of a slight adjustment to the arrival scheduled time, particularly for the first session, which is now 7:00 am as against the earlier published 6:30 am, while the scheduled start time for the session is now 8:30 am and end time 10:30 am," the notice read.

The revision responds to feedback from candidates and parents about the safety and logistical difficulties associated with pre dawn travel to examination centres, particularly for those coming from distant locations or navigating cities with limited early morning transport options. The 30 minute adjustment may appear small, but it addresses a concern that affected a significant number of candidates who had raised alarms about arriving at centres in darkness.

The UTME runs from Thursday, 16 April to Saturday, 25 April 2026, with four sessions scheduled daily across CBT centres nationwide. The board said the adjusted timings across all sessions are designed to ensure smoother operations throughout the examination period.