The day Priscilla checked her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) schedule on her Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) portal in April and discovered her exam was scheduled for 6:30 am, she could not believe her eyes.

“I was wondering how they expected me to leave the house early. I was disturbed,” said Priscilla.

She told The Guardian that she assumed that JAMB made a mistake with the schedule.

This was not the first time she would be writing UTME, but it would be her first time sitting for the exam a few minutes after sunrise.

She had gained admission into the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) the previous year and had begun pursuing an undergraduate degree in a discipline that was not her choice.

With the hostel gate locked until 6:30 am, staying the night would have meant missing her exam and potentially jeopardizing her chances of finally studying her dream course.

Her only alternative was spending the night in a tutorial center outside the campus, and she did just that.

She was not alone. Some applicants, whose exams were scheduled for 6:30 am, also spent the night there. Far from convenient, they slept on chairs.

“There were no beds, so we had to lie on chairs in the tutorial centre. I did not sleep that night because my body was aching,” she said.

The following morning, Priscilla set out at 5:30 am and boarded a commercial motorcycle to her exam venue.

‘Usual of JAMB’

UTME is a standardised entrance exam conducted annually by JAMB for prospective undergraduates of Nigerian tertiary institutions.

Applicants are tested in four subjects, depending on their preferred course.

The number of applicants who register for the exam increases every year.

In 2024, approximately 1.9 million candidates sat for the exam. The number increased to 2,030,627 candidates in 2025.

Some applicants had to travel to other states to write the exam in previous years.

JAMB, however, emphasised that it only posts candidates to examination centres within their town of residence in 2025.

The Guardian learnt that this was not the first time JAMB would schedule exams for 6:30 am.

Daring to pursue a dream

Some candidates, like Priscilla, have raised concerns about being posted to distant centres, 6:30 am schedules, having to risk dangers to sit the exam, without room for last-minute preparation before the exam.

She told The Guardian she feared for her safety while going to write her exam.

“I was gripped with fear. My parents and siblings kept calling to be sure I was safe,” said Priscilla.

Their concerns are not out of pocket.

On April 25, the same day Priscilla went to write her exam, an applicant, Esther Oluwafayofunmi Oladele, went missing while travelling from Ajah to Epe.

According to sources, Oladele had planned to stay with a relative in Epe the night before her exam. She was found the following day in Ijeu-Ode, a town in Ogun State.

Priscilla also told The Guardian that she was tense and could not prepare well on the morning of the exam.

Different studies have revealed that early morning exams may pose additional challenges for students prone to test anxiety.

Another applicant, Patrick, expressed similar concerns.

He told The Guardian that he was scared about being kidnapped or robbed on his way to the exam centre.

“I had to wake up around 3 am and leave home by 5:30 that morning. It was not easy for me to get a ride to my exam centre that morning because my area is always deserted around that time,” said Patrick.

Nigerians knock JAMB

Many Nigerians have called out JAMB on social media platforms for fixing exams by 6:30. They questioned the rationale behind the decision.

They also accused the board of not valuing human life, citing safety concerns, particularly in a country where insecurity is rife and criminal activities such as robbery, abduction, and murder thrive in the dark.

Olaoluwa Awode, Patrick’s mother, told The Guardian she was devastated when she learnt her son’s exam was scheduled for 6:30.

“6:30 is too early for UTME applicants to leave their homes because of the level of insecurity in this country. It is terrible for JAB to have scheduled exams at that time,” she lamented.

“Some applicants were involved in an accident and died, while some are still missing and have not been found. JAMB should have extended the examination dates instead of scheduling the exam for 6:30 am.”

While responding to these concerns, JAMB noted that examinations commence at 8:00 am, not 6:00 am, while clearance processes begin at 6:30 am.

Their response, however, did not address public concerns, as many people have called on the board to reconsider the template for the examination schedule.

The board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, did not respond when contacted for comments.

Editor’s Note: The full names of applicants were withheld to protect their identities.