JAMB Announces Actual Date 2026 UTME Registration Will Begin
- JAMB has fixed January 26, 2026, to February 28, 2026, for this year's UTME registration nationwide
- Professor Ishaq Oloyede outlined timelines for ePIN sales, mock exams and Direct Entry applications
- The board also warned CBT centres and candidates against violations, saying monitoring would be strict
Registration for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will begin on January 26 and run until February 28 at approved Computer-Based Test centres across the country, according to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
JAMB made the announcement in Lagos on Saturday, January 24, 2026, during a meeting with State Commissioners for Education ahead of the 2025 UTME and Direct Entry exercises, according to The Punch.
Source: Facebook
JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, said the process would follow a clear timeline, beginning with the early sale of application documents.
2026 UTME registration timeline announced
Oloyede explained that the sale of UTME application documents, known as the ePIN, had formally commenced ahead of the actual registration window.
“The sale of UTME application document which is the ePIN, will start earlier than commencement of actual registration which is January 19 to February 26.”
He added:
“The actual UTME registration period is between January 26 to Febuary 28 at all approved CBT Centres.”
According to him, the mock examination selection would close on February 16.
The registrar also disclosed that the sale of Direct Entry application documents and ePIN vending would begin on March 2 and end on April 25.
“The close of mock selection is February 16, while the sale of DE application documents and E-PIN vending will commence on March 2, and close by April 25.”
Source: Twitter
Monitoring and centre accreditation for UTME
On examination monitoring, Oloyede said all CBT centres involved in the registration exercise would be observed live from JAMB headquarters.
He warned that any centre whose activities could not be monitored would face sanctions.
“Any centre whose registration activities cannot be viewed from the headquarters will not be paid, while such registration may be invalidated,” he said.
He added that 924 CBT centres had been screened and provisionally listed.
“They will go through the final test before final accreditation,” he added.
Oloyede also clarified that candidates are not expected to pay any service charges to CBT centres, stating that only fees approved by the board are required.
Age rules and candidate obligations for UTME
The JAMB boss said candidates must be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, to be eligible for admission.
He added that underage candidates would be subjected to a strict evaluation process before any waiver is granted.
“Underage candidates who will be less than 16 years old by September 30, 2026, will undergo an intensive evaluation to determine their eligibility for a waiver,” he said.
He added that UTME results of underage candidates would only be released after the completion of the entire evaluation process.
Oloyede advised candidates to register early to avoid being posted to towns outside their preferred choices.
He also warned candidates to declare any previous admission or registration history, noting that it is a criminal offence to run more than one undergraduate programme at the same time.
“Failure to disclose such prior admission is an offence which will be sanctioned,” he said.
UTME 2026: JAMB releases registration guidelines
Legit.ng also reported that JAMB had released detailed guidelines for the registration of candidates for the 2026 UTME.
Prospective candidates are required to have a National Identification Number (NIN), an email address, among other details.
The JAMB 2026 UTME form will be on sale from January 31, 2026, until March 8, 2026, with the requirements already out.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
