The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially announced the commencement of sales for the registration forms for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) admissions for the 2026/2027 academic session.
The announcement, made via a post on the Board’s X handle on Tuesday night, confirmed that UTME is open to qualified candidates seeking admission into Nigeria’s tertiary institutions for the upcoming academic year.
According to ... signed by JAMB’s Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, the registration period for UTME candidates begins on Monday, January 26, 2026, and will close on Saturday, February 28, 2026.
The much-awaited UTME examination is set to take place in April 2026, with specific dates to be confirmed by the Board.
Candidates are also reminded that they must have their National Identification Number (NIN) before beginning the registration process.
JAMB further clarified that only candidates who will not be younger than 16 years old by September 30, 2026, are eligible to apply.
However, candidates younger than 16 years can still apply, provided they meet the following requirements:
A minimum score of 80% in UTME/ALEVEL, PUTME, SSCE, and a special candidate assessment.
Their results will only be released after a comprehensive evaluation process.
For Direct Entry (DE) candidates, the sale of application documents and E-PIN vending will begin on Monday, March 2, 2026, and close on Saturday, April 25, 2026. These documents can only be purchased at JAMB’s State and Zonal Offices.
The 2026 UTME is scheduled to take place from Thursday, April 16, 2026, to Saturday, April 25, 2026, while an optional Mock-UTME will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2026.