JAMB Announces New Details for 2026 UTME and Direct Entry Registration

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board JAMB has announced key updates ahead of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination UTME and Direct Entry DE registration exercise. The updates cover registration timelines, age eligibility requirements, monitoring of CBT centres, and other important rules for candidates nationwide.

The announcement was made in Lagos during a meeting with Commissioners for Education, where the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, outlined measures aimed at improving transparency, fairness, and efficiency in the 2026 admission process.

2026 UTME Registration Timeline

JAMB has confirmed separate dates for the sale of application documents and the actual UTME registration process.

1. Sale of UTME ePIN

• Starts on January 19, 2026

• Ends on February 26, 2026

2. UTME Registration Period

• Starts on January 26, 2026

• Ends on February 28, 2026

• Registration will take place at all approved CBT centres nationwide

Candidates are advised to complete registration early to avoid missing preferred towns or centres.

UTME Mock Examination Selection

Candidates who wish to participate in the mock examination must select the option during registration.

• Deadline for mock exam selection: February 16, 2026

No mock selection will be allowed after this date.

Direct Entry DE Registration Dates

JAMB also released the timeline for Direct Entry candidates.

1. Sale of DE application documents and ePIN vending

• Starts on March 2, 2026

• Closes on April 25, 2026

Recommended: JAMB Profile Code 2026 UTME: How to Generate, Retrieve, and Fix Common Issues

Live Monitoring of CBT Registration Centres

To curb malpractice and improve accountability, JAMB has introduced stricter monitoring measures.

• All CBT registration centres will be monitored live from JAMB headquarters

• Any centre whose activities cannot be viewed live will:

  • Not be paid

  • Risk having its registrations invalidated

Approved CBT Centres for 2026 UTME

JAMB disclosed that:

• 924 CBT centres have been screened and provisionally listed

• All centres will still undergo a final test before full accreditation

Only fully accredited centres will be allowed to conduct UTME registration and examinations.

Payment Rules at CBT Centres

JAMB has warned candidates against illegal charges.

• Candidates are not required to pay any service charges to CBT centres

• Only JAMB approved fees apply

Any centre demanding extra payments is acting illegally.

Examination Town Selection Clarification

Addressing concerns about candidates being posted far from their locations, JAMB clarified the placement process.

• Candidates will not be posted outside the towns selected during registration

• Selecting a group of towns means candidates may be posted to any town within that group

Late registration may limit available town options.

Declaration of Previous Admission Records

JAMB warned candidates to be truthful during registration.

• Candidates must declare any previous UTME registration or admission history

• It is a criminal offence to run more than one undergraduate programme at the same time

• Failure to disclose prior admission records will attract sanctions

Age Requirement for 2026 UTME Admission

JAMB has maintained a strict age policy for admission consideration.

1. General Age Requirement

• Candidates must be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026

2. Underage Candidates
   Underage candidates may only be considered after a strict evaluation process.

They must:

• Score not less than 80 percent in:

  • UTME or A Level

  • Post UTME

  • SSCE

  • Exceptional candidate assessment

JAMB also confirmed that:

• UTME results of underage candidates will only be released after the full evaluation process

• This is to ensure fairness and transparency nationwide