JAMB announces sale of 2026 UTME, Direct Entry forms, sets registration, exam dates

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced 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 announcement was made in a statement posted on JAMB’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday night and signed by the Registrar of the Board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede.

According to the statement, the UTME is open to suitably qualified candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions for the 2026/2027 academic year.

“Registration commences in January 2026 and closes in March 2026, with exact dates to be announced by JAMB,” the Board said, adding that the UTME examination will take place in April 2026.

JAMB further disclosed that UTME registration, including for candidates in foreign countries, will run from Monday, January 26, 2026, to Saturday, February 28, 2026.

The Board emphasised that all candidates must obtain their National Identification Number (NIN) before registering.

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On age eligibility, JAMB stated that only candidates who will be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, are generally eligible for admission consideration.

However, the Board noted that candidates below 16 years may be considered for a waiver after undergoing an intensive evaluation.

“Such candidates must score not less than 80 per cent in each of UTME or A-Level, Post-UTME, SSCE, and the exceptional candidate assessment,” JAMB said.

It added that the UTME results of underage candidates will only be released after the conclusion of the full evaluation process.

For Direct Entry (DE) applicants, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board said the sale of application documents and E-PIN vending will commence on Monday, March 2, 2026, and end on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Registration for DE candidates will be conducted exclusively at the Board’s state and zonal offices.

JAMB also announced that the 2026 UTME will hold from Thursday, April 16, 2026, to Saturday, April 25, 2026, while the optional Mock UTME is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, 2026.

The Board advised candidates to follow official JAMB communication channels for further updates and detailed registration guidelines.