The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has commenced the sale of application forms for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
JAMB, in its weekly bulletin dated 26 January, noted that registration for the examination begins nationwide Monday, 26 January 2026, and will end Saturday, 28 February 2026.
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According to the Board, registration is expected to be seamless, following “mechanisms already put in motion to ensure that candidates get top-notch service.”
It advised candidates to register only at JAMB-approved Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres, professional registration centres and Board offices across the country.
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The Board also warns CBT centres against extortion and other fraudulent practices.
Biodata, registration timelines, fees
Speaking at a meeting with critical stakeholders, JAMB Registrar, Is-haq Oloyede, advised candidates with issues relating to their biodata to resolve such discrepancies before registration.
Mr Oloyede said candidates seeking corrections on names or date of birth must do so through the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
“The Board would not correct or use any data other than the one generated from NIMC,” Mr Oloyede said.
He added that UTME registration, including for “candidates from foreign countries, will run from 26 January to 28 February 2026.”
He further added that e-PIN vending started earlier.
For Direct Entry (DE) candidates, the sale of application documents and e-PIN vending will begin on 2 March and end on 25 April 2026.
Mr Oloyede noted that DE forms would only be sold at JAMB zonal and state offices.
He added that three categories of e-PINs are available for the 2026 exercise.
“There will be three categories of e-PINS: Direct Entry (N5,700); UTME Only Without Mock (N7,200); UTME With Mock (N8,700),” he said.
He explained that the charges cover the application fee, reading text, CBT registration service charge, UTME service charge, bank charges and optional mock examination fees.
Mock examination dates
The Board also announced the dates for the 2026 examinations.
“The 2026 UTME will commence on Thursday, 16 April, 2026, and end on Saturday, 25th April, 2026,” Mr Oloyede said.
He added that the optional Mock-UTME would be held on Saturday, 28 March 2026.
JAMB warns CBT centres
The registrar issued a stern warning to CBT centres against engaging in dubious fraudulent practices ahead of the examinations.
He said the practices include extortion and vending above the regulated price, among others.
He noted that centres found culpable will have their licence withdrawn as well as be prosecuted.
He also cautioned centre owners against engaging staff with questionable character, stressing that proprietors would be held responsible for any crime committed by their ad-hoc staff.
‘No vision, no registration’
As part of measures to curb registration infractions, JAMB also announced the enforcement of what it described as the “No Vision, No Registration, No UTME” policy for the 2026 exercise.
Under the policy, CBT centres whose registration activities cannot be monitored remotely will not be allowed to operate.
Mr Oloyede said all centres participating in the 2026 UTME registration would be monitored live from JAMB headquarters in Abuja.
“Any centre whose registration activities cannot be viewed from the JAMB National Headquarters, Abuja, will not be paid, and such registration may be invalidated,” he said.
Mandatory live cameras, CCTV upgrade
The registrar stressed the compulsory use of Microsoft or Digitech live cameras for UTME registration, noting that only these devices are approved for capturing the second image of candidates during registration.
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He said the measure was introduced to minimise manipulation of candidate photographs detected during the 2025 registration exercise.
“All existing CBT centres must have migrated to the HIKVision,” he said, adding that the recommended Network Video Recorders must have a minimum of 16 channels to cover all areas of the examination centre.
He further stated that all CCTV systems must be wired and must cover all critical areas of examination centres, including verification areas, holding rooms, examination halls, server rooms, walkways and entry and exit points.
“Erring centres would be sanctioned, including possible prosecution,” he warned.
He added that JAMB would not bear the cost of reconfiguring CCTV routers of any centre, stressing that centres must fund such upgrades themselves before being allowed to operate.
Mr Oloyede recalled that centres and individuals previously involved in malpractice had been delisted and are currently being prosecuted, adding that the Board “would not hesitate to sanction any centre or individual involved in examination malpractice.”
