The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified that candidates who are already enrolled in tertiary institutions are eligible to register for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE), provided they disclose their current matriculation status. The Board warned that failure to make such disclosure could lead to the loss of both admissions.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said the clarification became necessary following what he described as deliberate misrepresentation of the Board’s guidelines by some individuals posing as education advocates.
According to Benjamin, parts of JAMB’s directives contained in the 2026 UTME/DE advertisement have been distorted, causing unnecessary confusion among candidates and their parents. He alleged that these false narratives are being spread by “self-styled education advocates” seeking personal gain, particularly increased traffic to their social media platforms.
He noted that such individuals often emerge at the start of every registration cycle without properly studying or understanding official guidelines, yet hastily present misleading interpretations to the public.
Benjamin stressed that registering for the UTME or Direct Entry while still enrolled in an institution is not a violation of any regulation. However, he explained that withholding information about an existing admission amounts to an offence.
“For the avoidance of doubt and in line with the Board’s statutory responsibility to prevent multiple matriculations, all candidates registering for the 2026 UTME/DE are required to declare their matriculation status where applicable,” he said.
He further explained that disclosure simply means that once a candidate secures a new admission through UTME or Direct Entry, the previous admission automatically lapses, as the law does not permit a candidate to hold two admissions simultaneously.
Benjamin also revealed that investigations have shown that some already matriculated students engage in examination malpractice by acting as professional test takers. He said the mandatory disclosure policy helps the Board take swift action whenever such candidates are identified.
While noting that JAMB’s system is capable of detecting prior matriculation, he warned that candidates who fail to disclose their status risk forfeiting both their existing and new admissions.
He urged the public to disregard misleading information from unofficial sources and advised candidates and parents to rely solely on JAMB’s official guidelines and communications.
Meanwhile, the Board reiterated that registration for the 2026 UTME officially began on January 26. JAMB also restated its directive that only Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres with facilities that can be monitored remotely will be allowed to participate in the registration process.
The policy, tagged “No Vision, No Registration, No UTME,” is part of JAMB’s efforts to curb registration irregularities and strengthen the integrity of its examination system.
