The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, will commence the sale of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, form on January 31, while the examination will hold nationwide on March 8.

The examination is expected to hold in 870 computer-based test centres that have been screened and given provisional clearance nationwide.

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who announced this on Sunday at a meeting with media executives in Lagos, also said they had introduced a mock UTME examination for candidates below the age of 16, and those wishing to test their skills.

He however said that the mock examination was just to test the candidates abilities not for the purpose of admission.

“We are starting the sale of forms on the 31st of January till 5th of March. There will be a mock exam on the 23rd of February and on the 8th of March there will be UTME,” the JAMB Registrar said.

Oloyede explained that to qualify to write UTME and secure admission into universities, polytechnics or colleges of education, candidates must be 16 years old on or before September 30.

He also said candidates wishing to have CBT experience could also register for the  mock examination.

For Direct Entry applicants, the Registrar said that the sale of documents and e-PIN vending would commence from March 10 to April 7.

Oloyede announced that those wishing to write the UTME with mock would pay N8,200, UTME only N7,200, trial-testing mock only and direct entry N5,700.

The JAMB registrar said they would  enforce the 16-year age limit during the  UTME registration, except for gifted underage candidates who must score not less than 280 marks in UTME and perform exceptionally in the senior secondary examination and post-UTME before getting admission.

“The policy meeting on admission adopted 16 years as the minimum for 2024 admission. JAMB tried to assist by extending the date to accommodate more candidates, but we were taken to court to reverse the extension to 16 years,” he explained.

Former Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, announced last year that only candidates aged 18 and above would be admitted into tertiary institutions in the country in line with existing laws.

The declaration, however, attracted criticisms from Nigerians, forcing the government to pause the enforcement of the requirement.