The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the commencement of 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 on Tuesday via a post on JAMB’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
In a photo statement signed by the Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the board invited suitably qualified candidates to apply for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions for the 2026/2027 academic year.
According to the statement, registration for the examination will begin in January 2026 and close in March 2026, with the exact dates to be officially communicated by the board. JAMB also disclosed that the UTME is scheduled to take place in April 2026.
Specifically, the registration window for UTME candidates, including those from foreign countries, will run from Monday, January 26, 2026, to Saturday, February 28, 2026.
JAMB further emphasized that candidates must have a National Identification Number (NIN) before they can register for the examination.
On age eligibility, the board stated that only candidates who will be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, are generally eligible to apply. However, candidates who are below 16 years as of that date may be considered for a waiver, provided they undergo a rigorous evaluation process. Such candidates must score a minimum of 80 percent in UTME or A-Level, Post-UTME, SSCE, and the exceptional candidate assessment.
JAMB added that the UTME results of underage candidates will only be released after the completion of the entire evaluation process.
For Direct Entry applicants, the board announced that the sale of DE application documents and E-PIN vending will commence on Monday, March 2, 2026, and end on Saturday, April 25, 2026. It noted that DE registration will be carried out exclusively at JAMB State and Zonal Offices nationwide.
The board also confirmed that the 2026 UTME will be conducted from Thursday, April 16, 2026, to Saturday, April 25, 2026. In addition, the optional Mock-UTME is scheduled to hold on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
