- JAMB Begins 2026 UTME Registration January 26.
- CBT centres face sanctions as JAMB enforces live monitoring nationwide
- Underage candidates to undergo strict evaluation before result release
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced that registration for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination will begin on Monday, January 26, and end on February 28, at all accredited Computer Based Test centres nationwide.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed this on Saturday in Lagos during a meeting with Commissioners for Education ahead of the 2026 UTME and Direct Entry exercises. He confirmed that the sale of the UTME application document, known as the ePIN, would commence earlier, running from January 19 to February 26.
According to Oloyede, candidates who intend to participate in the UTME mock examination must indicate their interest on or before February 16. He added that the sale of Direct Entry application documents and ePIN vending would start on March 2 and close on April 25.
The registrar warned CBT centres that the registration exercise would be monitored live from JAMB headquarters in Abuja. He stated that any centre whose registration activities could not be viewed in real time would face sanctions, including non payment and possible invalidation of such registrations. Oloyede disclosed that 924 CBT centres had been provisionally approved but would still undergo final tests before full accreditation.
He reiterated that candidates are not required to pay any service charges to CBT centres, stressing that only the official registration fees approved by JAMB are payable. Oloyede also dismissed complaints about candidates being posted to distant examination locations, insisting that postings are limited to towns selected during registration.
On eligibility, the registrar stated that candidates must be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, to qualify for admission. He added that underage candidates would only be considered after undergoing a rigorous evaluation process and meeting strict performance benchmarks.
