More than 41,000 candidates under the age of 16 have registered for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), according to live data from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
These minors are part of the 2.03 million total registered candidates.
JAMB also confirmed 62 cases of exam malpractice as of Monday.
Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa recently reiterated that the minimum age for university admission remains 16, with exceptions made only for candidates scoring at least 320 out of 400 in the UTME.
This announcement follows JAMB’s decision to revert to the 16-year age benchmark, undoing the previous 18-year requirement set by former Minister Prof. Tahir Mamman a change widely supported by education stakeholders.
At a meeting with education leaders, JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede emphasized that while the age limit stands, only exceptional younger candidates will be considered.
In related developments, the Education Minister has directed WAEC and NECO to adopt Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for all objective sections by November 2025, with full CBT including essay components set for rollout by the May/June 2026 exams. The policy aims to curb malpractice and modernize the examination system.
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