Picture of JAMB Registra,
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced the commencement of the sale of registration forms for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry admissions for the 2026/2027 academic session.
The examination body made the announcement on Tuesday night via a statement posted on its official X handle and signed by its Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede.
According to JAMB, registration for the UTME will open in January 2026 and close in March 2026, with the exact dates to be officially announced by the board.
It disclosed that the UTME examination itself is scheduled to take place in April 2026.
The statement further clarified that the registration period for UTME candidates, including those applying from foreign countries, will run from Monday, January 26, 2026, to Saturday, February 28, 2026.
JAMB stressed that all prospective candidates must obtain their National Identification Number before commencing registration.
On eligibility, the board stated that only candidates who will be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, are generally eligible to apply for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
However, it noted that candidates who are below 16 years of age by that date may be considered for a waiver, subject to an intensive evaluation process.
Such candidates must score a minimum of 80 per cent in UTME or A-Level, Post-UTME, Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination, and the exceptional candidate assessment.
JAMB added that the UTME results of underage candidates would only be released after the completion of the evaluation process.
For Direct Entry applicants, the board said the sale of application documents and E-PIN vending would commence on Monday, March 2, 2026, and end on Saturday, April 25, 2026.
It added that Direct Entry registration would only be conducted at JAMB’s state and zonal offices nationwide.
The board also announced that the 2026 UTME examination would begin on Thursday, April 16, 2026, and end on Saturday, April 25, 2026, while the optional Mock UTME is scheduled to hold on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
