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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed that 180 candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) mock test will face stiff penalties for attempting to cheat.
Speaking during a monitoring exercise at a Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre in Bwari, Abuja, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, JAMB Registrar, disclosed that the candidates were caught after making payments to a decoy website set up by the board to expose rogue behaviour. He said the move was part of ongoing efforts to outsmart tech-savvy candidates and syndicates seeking to undermine the credibility of the examination.
“We are aware of rogue websites asking people to pay for access to supposed questions. We’ve also opened our own rogue site, and as of this morning, 180 candidates have paid. That is already an infraction. We will cancel their results, both UTME and Direct Entry,” the registrar said.
Read also: 2025 UTME: JAMB confirms registration, exam dates
According to him, the mock exam served as both a test of the board’s readiness for the main UTME and a trap to gauge and address emerging threats to the examination process.
“As students are getting wiser, we are also getting better.”
“We’re trying new strategies. The mock helps us draw lessons and make adjustments before the main exercise,” Oloyede said.
He noted that the mock exam results would be released on Friday after cross-checking submissions across multiple batches.
A total of 211,000 candidates participated in the mock exam across accredited CBT centres nationwide.
The Registrar expressed concern over the growing trend of candidates and even schools attempting to manipulate UTME scores for recognition, noting that some institutions falsely claim credit for high-performing students they did not properly guide or register.
“There was a state where even the governor was misinformed and celebrating false results. Some schools want bragging rights, that ten of their students scored over 280, and they go to extreme lengths to fabricate it,” Oloyede added.
Read also: JAMB sets January15-February 26 for 2025 UTME registration, April 18-28 for exam
He reminded candidates that UTME registration is personal and should never be done by proxy. He also warned them against sharing their registration details with third parties, especially schools or tutorial centres promising special access or results.
“Some are paying N30,000 for something that will never work, and when I see the names of some of those who paid, I just smile,” he said.
The 2025 UTME is scheduled to begin on April 25 at designated CBT centres across Nigeria.
JAMB says it will continue to refine its processes to ensure a credible, transparent, and fair examination for all candidates.
