The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the commencement of the sale of registration forms for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) admissions for the 2026/2027 academic session.
The Board disclosed this in a statement posted on its official X handle on Tuesday night. The announcement, signed by JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, confirmed that the UTME is open to suitably qualified candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
According to JAMB, registration for the 2026 UTME will begin in January 2026 and close in March 2026, while the examination itself is scheduled to hold in April 2026. Specifically, UTME registration for candidates, including those from foreign countries, will run from Monday, January 26, 2026, to Saturday, February 28, 2026.
The Board reiterated that all candidates must obtain their National Identification Number (NIN) before registering. It also stated that only candidates who will be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, are generally eligible to apply.
JAMB, however, noted that candidates below 16 years by the stipulated date may be considered for a waiver after undergoing an intensive evaluation process. Such candidates must score not less than 80 percent in each of UTME or A-Level, Post-UTME, SSCE, and the exceptional candidate assessment. Their UTME results will only be released after the completion of the evaluation process.
For Direct Entry applicants, JAMB announced that the sale of 2026 DE application documents and E-PIN vending will commence on Monday, March 2, 2026, and end on Saturday, April 25, 2026. The process will be conducted exclusively at JAMB State and Zonal Offices.
The Board further disclosed that the 2026 UTME examination will take place from Thursday, April 16, 2026, to Saturday, April 25, 2026, while the optional Mock-UTME is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, 2026.
