The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced commencement of registration for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), assuring candidates that systems have been fully put in place for a smooth and hitch-free registration exercise nationwide.
The Board urged applicants to register strictly at approved Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres, professional registration outlets, or JAMB offices, warning that patronising unauthorised operators could lead to disqualification or loss of registration details.
Addressing key stakeholders at a consultative meeting, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede drew attention to the growing challenge of biodata inconsistencies among candidates. He advised those with errors in their names, dates of birth or other personal details to rectify such issues directly with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) before attempting to register.
According to him, JAMB would rely exclusively on data supplied by NIMC for the 2026 exercise and will not honour corrections submitted through any other channel.
Oloyede disclosed that UTME registration for candidates within Nigeria and abroad would run from Monday, January 26 to Saturday, February 28, 2026. He added that the sale of electronic Personal Identification Numbers (e-PINs) commenced on January 19 and would close on February 26, ahead of the end of registration.
For Direct Entry (DE) applicants, the Registrar said sales of forms and e-PINs would begin on Monday, March 2, and end on Saturday, April 25, 2026. He noted that DE registration would.be conducted solely at JAMB zonal and state offices across the country.
JAMB also released the approved cost structure for the 2026 examination. UTME candidates opting out of the Mock examination will pay ₦7,200, while those choosing to sit for the Mock-UTME will pay ₦8,700. Direct Entry candidates will pay ₦5,700.
The fees, he explained, cover the application form, reading material, CBT registration and examination charges, bank transaction costs, as well as the additional fee for Mock-UTME where applicable.
On the examination calendar, the JAMB registrar announced that the Mock-UTME would take place on Saturday, March 28, 2026, while the main UTME was scheduled to run from Thursday, April 16 to Saturday, April 25, 2026.
However, Oloyede has issued a strong warning to CBT centre operators, cautioning them against extortion, overcharging and other sharp practices.
He stressed that any centre found violating JAMB regulations would face licence withdrawal and possible prosecution.
He further reminded CBT proprietors that they would be held accountable for the conduct of all temporary and ad-hoc staff engaged for the exercise, adding that ignorance would not be accepted as a defence in cases of malpractice.
