“We Waited for Hours!” — Chaos Rocks JAMB Mock UTME 2026 as Glitches, Delays Frustrate Thousands

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What was meant to be a simple practice run for one of Nigeria’s most important exams quickly turned into a stressful ordeal for thousands of students, as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) struggled to manage its 2026 mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Across the country, candidates and their parents were left frustrated and exhausted after experiencing long delays, technical glitches, and poor coordination at many Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres.

The mock exam, held on Saturday, March 28, had about 227,896 candidates registered. But instead of a smooth rehearsal ahead of the main UTME in April, many students described the experience as “confusing,” “stressful,” and “disappointing.”

In several centres, including parts of Nasarawa State, candidates who arrived early for the 8:00 a.m. session were still waiting hours later. Some didn’t even get the chance to write the exam at all.

“We got there before 7 a.m., but nothing started until almost noon,” one parent said, echoing the frustration felt across multiple locations.

Many centres battled serious issues — from system failures and server downtime to biometric verification problems, poor internet connectivity, and even power outages. In some cases, computers repeatedly shut down or froze during the exam, forcing candidates to wait endlessly.

The scheduling of two sessions — 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — only added to the confusion, with overcrowding and poor coordination leaving students stranded for hours.

On X, reactions poured in as candidates and parents shared their experiences. Many complained about being asked to arrive as early as 6:30 a.m., raising concerns about safety, especially for students traveling long distances.

Education expert Alex Onyia also highlighted that a significant number of candidates were unable to sit for the exam due to the widespread issues.

Although a few centres in Abuja reportedly ran without major problems, the situation in many other parts of the country has raised fresh concerns about JAMB’s readiness.

This comes shortly after similar technical problems affected the 2025 UTME, which forced thousands of candidates to retake their exams and led to a public apology from JAMB Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede.

Parents have also expressed concern about the physical and emotional toll on their children. Some suggested that JAMB should allow basic provisions like snacks and better waiting conditions, especially when delays stretch for hours.

Despite earlier warnings that candidates who skipped the mock exam could face penalties, JAMB has yet to release a detailed response addressing the widespread complaints as of the time of this report.

With the main UTME just weeks away, many Nigerians are now watching closely, hoping the issues seen during the mock exam will be fixed in time.

For now, what should have been a confidence-building exercise has instead left many students anxious about what lies ahead.