Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially opened registration for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) admissions for the 2026/2027 academic session.
The announcement was made via the Board’s X handle on Tuesday night.
“UTME is open to suitably qualified candidates for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions for the 2026/2027 academic session,” the statement, signed by JAMB Registrar Ishaq Oloyede, read.
According to JAMB, registration will begin in January 2026 and close in March 2026, with exact dates to be confirmed.
The UTME exam is scheduled to hold in April 2026.
“The period of registration for UTME candidates, including those from foreign countries, is from Monday, 26th January, 2026 to Saturday, 28th February, 2026,” the statement added.
JAMB emphasized that candidates must have obtained their National Identification Number (NIN) before registration.
The Board also outlined age eligibility, stating:
“Only candidates who will not be less than 16 years old by 30th September, 2026 are generally eligible to apply/be considered.”
For underage candidates, JAMB explained:
“Candidates less than 16 years old by 30th September, 2026 will have to undergo an intensive evaluation to determine their eligibility for a waiver. Such must have scored not less than 80% in each of UTME/ALEVEL, PUTME, SSCE, and in the exceptional candidate assessment.”
The Board clarified that, “The UTME results of the underage candidates will be released only at the conclusion of the complete evaluation process.”
For Direct Entry candidates, JAMB announced:
“Sale of 2026 Direct Entry (DE) application documents and E-PIN vending would commence from Monday, 2nd March, 2026, and end by Saturday, 25th April, 2026, and would only be at the Board’s State and Zonal Offices.”
The Board also confirmed the examination schedule:
“The 2026 UTME will commence on Thursday, 16th April, 2026 and end on Saturday, 25th April, 2026,” adding that the optional Mock-UTME is slated for Saturday, 28th March, 2026.
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