JAMB announces date, process for 2026 UTME registration

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the commencement date for registration for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The examination body disclosed that UTME registration will begin on Monday, January 26, 2026, and end on February 28, 2026 across all approved Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide.

Speaking on Saturday in Lagos during a meeting with Commissioners for Education ahead of the 2026 UTME and Direct Entry (DE) exercises, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, clarified that the sale of UTME application documents would commence earlier than the actual registration.

According to him, the sale of the UTME application document (ePIN) will run from January 19 to February 26, while candidates can complete their registration between January 26 and February 28 at accredited CBT centres.

“The sale of UTME application documents, which is the ePIN, will start earlier than the actual registration. Actual UTME registration period is between January 26 and February 28 at all approved CBT centres,” Oloyede said.

The registrar further disclosed that the mock examination selection window will close on February 16, while the sale of Direct Entry (DE) application documents and ePIN vending will commence on March 2 and end on April 25.

He also revealed a change regarding underage candidates, stating that unlike previous years, the UTME results of underage candidates will only be released after a full evaluation process, to ensure proper assessment of those seeking age waivers.

Oloyede warned CBT centres participating in the registration exercise that JAMB will monitor all registration activities live from its headquarters.

He stated that any centre whose registration process cannot be viewed in real time would not be paid, and such registrations could be invalidated.

According to him, 924 CBT centres have been screened and provisionally listed, noting that they would still undergo a final integrity test before being fully accredited for the 2026 UTME.

The JAMB registrar reiterated that candidates are not required to pay any additional service charges to CBT centres, stressing that only the official registration fees approved by the board are valid.

He also addressed complaints about candidates being posted to distant examination locations, clarifying that JAMB does not post candidates to towns outside those selected during registration.

Oloyede advised candidates to register early, warning that late registration could reduce their chances of securing their preferred examination towns.