JAMB, Education Commissioners Plan Smooth 2026 UTME Registration
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has commenced strategic engagements with state commissioners for education to ensure a seamless registration and examination process for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
At a meeting held in Lagos, JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, announced that registration for the 2026 UTME would begin later this month. He said the gathering was aimed at strengthening collaboration with key stakeholders, sharing JAMB’s operational plans and introducing new measures designed to improve transparency, efficiency and examination integrity.
Oloyede urged state education commissioners to intensify efforts to combat examination malpractice, warning that negligence in monitoring Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres could attract serious consequences. He also advised states to exercise caution when entering agreements with CBT centre operators to avoid breaches that could invalidate registrations.
Reaffirming JAMB’s admission policies, the registrar stated that candidates must disclose any previous admission or registration records, noting that concealing such information constitutes an offence. He also reiterated that running multiple undergraduate programmes simultaneously is illegal under existing regulations.
On age eligibility, Oloyede explained that only candidates who will be at least 16 years old by 30 September 2026 will qualify for admission consideration. However, underage applicants may be granted waivers after undergoing a rigorous evaluation process, provided they achieve outstanding academic performance.
He added that results for underage candidates will only be released after the full assessment is completed.
He disclosed that the sale of UTME application e-PINs will run from January 19 to February 26, while actual registration at accredited CBT centres will take place between January 26 and February 28. Mock examination selections will close on February 16. Meanwhile, Direct Entry e-PIN sales will begin on March 2 and end on April 25.
The JAMB boss further revealed that all CBT registration centres will be monitored in real time from the Board’s headquarters. Any centre whose activities cannot be tracked live risks losing payment and may have its registrations voided. He also clarified that candidates are not required to pay service fees to CBT centres.
Oloyede confirmed that 924 CBT centres have been screened and will undergo final tests before receiving full accreditation. He also assured candidates that postings to examination towns will strictly follow their selected preferences during registration, advising early registration to secure desired locations.
Speaking after the meeting, several education commissioners commended JAMB’s proactive approach and pledged to support initiatives aimed at eliminating examination malpractice nationwide.
