Nigeria’s Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the start of sales for application documents for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) admissions for the 2026/2027 academic session.
The announcement was made in a statement signed by JAMB’s Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, and shared on the Board’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday night.
According to the Board, applications are open to suitably qualified candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions across the country.
JAMB said eligibility is largely age-based, noting that candidates must be at least 16 years old by 30 September 2026 to be considered for admission. However, it said underage candidates may be considered under strict conditions.
Such candidates, the Board explained, would be required to undergo an intensive evaluation process and must score a minimum of 80% in each of the UTME or A-Level examinations, post-UTME, Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE), and an exceptional candidate assessment. It added that the UTME results of underage candidates would only be released after the completion of the evaluation process.
On registration timelines, JAMB said UTME registration for candidates in Nigeria and abroad would run from Monday, 26 January 2026, to Saturday, 28 February 2026. E-PIN vending for the examination is scheduled to begin on Monday, 19 January 2026, and close on Thursday, 26 February 2026.
For Direct Entry applicants, the Board said the sale of application documents and E-PIN vending would commence on Monday, 2 March 2026, and end on Saturday, 25 April 2026. It noted that Direct Entry registration would only be conducted at JAMB’s state and zonal offices.
JAMB also announced three categories of e-PINs: Direct Entry at ₦5,700; UTME without mock examination at ₦7,200; and UTME with mock examination at ₦8,700. The fees cover the application form, reading text, CBT centre registration and examination charges, bank charges, and, where applicable, mock examination fees.
The Board further disclosed that the 2026 UTME would take place from Thursday, 16 April 2026, to Saturday, 25 April 2026, while the optional mock UTME is scheduled for Saturday, 28 March 2026.
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