The Federal Government has proposed a harmonised 2027 examination timetable, with results from major examination bodies targeted for release by August 2027 to support the timely commencement of tertiary admissions.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) shared the proposed timetable on its social media platforms on Thursday, noting that the dates are provisional and subject to official confirmation by the respective examination bodies.

The proposed schedule places the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in March 2027, with eligible candidates expected to begin tertiary admission processes by September.

Proposed 2027 examination timetable

JAMB said the harmonisation is intended to improve coordination among examination bodies and ensure results are released in time for tertiary admissions.

“The Federal Government is working with examination bodies to align the 2027 examination timetable and ensure the timely release of results, enabling eligible candidates to begin tertiary admission processes by September 2027,” JAMB said.

Under the proposed schedule, the UTME will hold from March 15 to 25, followed by the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination from April 1 to May 14.

The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is scheduled for May 11 to June 18, while the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) examinations are proposed for June 1 to July 5.

The National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) examinations are scheduled for June 10 to July 9.

The initiative also aims to minimise examination timetable clashes and improve coordination among examination bodies.

JAMB stressed that the dates remain provisional and urged candidates to follow official announcements from the relevant examination bodies for updates.

The proposed harmonisation comes amid other changes by JAMB aimed at streamlining examination requirements, O’Level result processing and access to tertiary education.

In May 2026, JAMB announced that candidates seeking admission into Colleges of Education for education and non-engineering agriculture programmes would be exempt from the UTME from the 2027 admission cycle.

The policy is part of broader changes to the requirements for admission into teacher-training institutions.

Separately, in August 2026, JAMB introduced an online system allowing 2026 UTME candidates to verify and upload their O’Level results without visiting a Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre. The initiative was designed to simplify the process and reduce unnecessary visits to CBT centres.

In September 2026, JAMB and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) fixed a N4,000 one-time fee for O’Level result verification during the tertiary admission process. Under the arrangement, JAMB verifies candidates’ WAEC results and makes them available to their chosen institutions.