The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Monday commenced registration process for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), assuring candidates of a smooth and transparent exercise nationwide.
Details of the exercise were contained in JAMB’s weekly bulletin published on its official website on Monday.
According to Is-haq Oloyede, JAMB’s registrar, UTME registration for prospective candidates, including those from foreign countries, will run from Monday, January 26, 2026, to Saturday, February 28, 2026.
Jamb noted that the sale of e-PINs for the examination began earlier on Monday, January 19, 2026, and will end on Thursday, February 26, 2026, while registration will officially close on February 28.
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For Direct Entry (DE) candidates, the board disclosed that the sale of application documents and e-PIN vending will commence on Monday, March 2, 2026, and end on Saturday, April 25, 2026. He added that DE registration would only be carried out at JAMB zonal and state offices nationwide.
Speaking on registration fees, the board announced three categories of e-PINs for the 2026 admission exercise. He said the cost for Direct Entry candidates is N5,700, while UTME candidates will pay N7,200 for registration without mock examination and N8,700 for registration with mock UTME.
The charges cover a UTME or DE application fee of N3,500, reading text of N1,000, CBT centre registration service charge of N700, CBT centre UTME service charge of N1,500, bank charges of N500, and an optional mock UTME centre charge of N1,500.
On the examination timetable, the Registrar stated that the 2026 UTME would be conducted from Thursday, April 16, to Saturday, April 25, 2026. He added that the optional mock UTME is scheduled to be held on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
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Oloyede advised candidates who have issues with their biodata, such as discrepancies in names or dates of birth, to ensure such corrections are effected with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) before commencing registration. He stressed that JAMB would rely strictly on data generated from NIMC and would not entertain any corrections outside the platform.
He also urged prospective candidates to register only at JAMB-accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres, professional registration centres and JAMB offices across the federation, warning against patronising unapproved centres.
The Registrar cautioned CBT centre operators against engaging in sharp practices such as extortion or selling services above approved rates, noting that any centre found culpable would have its licence withdrawn and could face prosecution.
He further warned centre proprietors to be mindful of the character of staff engaged for the exercise, stressing that operators would be held responsible for any infractions committed by their ad hoc staff.
Reiterating JAMB’s eligibility policy, Oloyede said only candidates who would be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, are generally eligible to apply for admission. However, he noted that provisions exist for underage candidates under strict conditions.
According to him, underage candidates must score a minimum of 80 per cent in each of the UTME or A-Level, Post-UTME, Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the exceptional candidate assessment
He added that the UTME results of such candidates would only be released after the completion of the evaluation process.