JAMB Begins Registration for 2026 UTME

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria Monday, January 26th, 2026

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the start of registration for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

JAMB said it has put all arrangements in place to ensure a smooth registration process. The board advised candidates to register only at approved Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres, professional registration centres, and JAMB offices across the country.

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, gave the update during a meeting with stakeholders. He warned candidates who have problems with their personal details, such as wrong names or dates of birth, to first correct them with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) before registering. He stressed that JAMB will only use data from NIMC and will not accept corrections from any other source.

According to him, registration for UTME candidates, including those outside Nigeria, will run from Monday, January 26, 2026, to Saturday, February 28, 2026. The sale of e-PINs began earlier on Monday, January 19, 2026, and will end on Thursday, February 26, 2026.

For Direct Entry (DE) candidates, the sale of application forms and e-PINs will begin on Monday, March 2, 2026, and end on Saturday, April 25, 2026. DE forms will only be available at JAMB zonal and state offices nationwide.

Prof. Oloyede said there are three categories of e-PINs for the 2026 exercise. Direct Entry costs ₦5,700. UTME without the mock exam costs ₦7,200, while UTME with the optional mock exam costs ₦8,700.

These fees cover the JAMB application form, reading text, CBT registration and service charges, bank charges, and the mock exam fee, where applicable.

The 2026 UTME examination will take place from Thursday, April 16, to Saturday, April 25, 2026. The optional Mock UTME is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, 2026.

The JAMB Registrar also warned CBT centre operators against fraud, extortion, or charging more than the approved fees. He said any centre found guilty would lose its licence and face prosecution. Centre owners were also told to carefully screen their staff, as they would be held responsible for any wrongdoing during the registration and examination process.