The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) yesterday warned candidates sitting the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) against “desperately selecting examination towns”.

In a statement, the board said it does not select towns for candidates taking the examination or the optional mock examination.

It said the clarification was particularly important as 90 per cent of the available spaces for the optional mock exercise across the country had been filled, leaving only few states with available slots.

The statement said: “JAMB has observed unusual preferences among candidates regarding their choice of examination towns, likely in an effort to participate in the optional mock examination.

“This notice aims to advise candidates against desperately selecting examination towns, only to later accuse the Board of assigning them to towns far from their residences, towns, or states.”