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 Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, 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″, he said.
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.
Prof. 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.even as he reminded parents that candidates must be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, to be eligible for admission.
Oloyede 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.
The JAMB registrar 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
