Over 300,000 candidates have registered for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), says the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board.

According to the board’s weekly bulletin obtained from the board’s website by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, JAMB has also registered more than 8,000 Direct Entry (DE) candidates.

“Total profile code generated so far is 497,528. Total UTME pin vended is 344,115, while total pin vended for DE is 10,848. Total registered candidates for UTME, 316, 132, and total registered candidates for DE is 8,490.

“Total candidates who have indicated interest in sitting for the mock UTME are 126, 402,” it disclosed.

According to the bulletin, candidates can send their National Identity Number (NIN) from any SIM of their choice, provided the SIM has not been used by another candidate to register for UTME/DE in the past.

JAMB added that this was contrary to its earlier statement that only the SIM linked to a candidate’s NIN could be used to send their NIN to 55019.

The board had on Sunday said candidates could only generate their profiles by sending their details to 55019 on the SIM linked to their NIN.

It, however, advised them to follow the right process to be successfully registered.

“The right process is to send the word `NIN,’ allow one space in between, and then insert the eleven digits NIN number and send it to 55019.

“Any other process is wrong and would not generate the profile code for the candidate,” it said.

The mock UTME earlier scheduled to hold on April 30 is now to occur on May 20, while the examination will take place from June 5 to June 19.

Registration for UTME/DE, which began on April 8, will end on May 15.