The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has screened a total of 924 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide in preparation for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed this on Saturday during an interactive session with State Commissioners for Education held in Lagos.
Oloyede explained that the screened centres would undergo final tests before receiving full accreditation to participate in the 2026 UTME registration and examination.
According to him, the board routinely conducts accreditation exercises before the commencement of registration to assess the suitability of CBT centres for its examinations.
“A rigorous accreditation exercise has been carried out for the 2026 UTME. Members of the accreditation team included Chief External Examiners such as Vice-Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts, as well as Technical Advisors, JAMB State Coordinators and Technical Officers,” he said.
He added that the engagement with commissioners was aimed at strengthening collaboration to ensure smooth registration and hitch-free conduct of the 2026 UTME and Direct Entry (DE) examinations.
The registrar said the meeting also served to share JAMB’s vision, policies and strategies for the 2026 exercise, introduce new measures to enhance integrity and efficiency, improve public sensitisation, and gather feedback from stakeholders at the grassroots level.
Oloyede further noted that joint efforts would be intensified to curb examination malpractice and other unethical practices.
Providing details on the registration timeline, he said UTME and mock candidates would register before Direct Entry candidates.
“The sale of UTME application documents (e-PINs) will commence ahead of the registration period. UTME registration will take place from January 26 to February 28, while e-PIN sales will run from January 19 to February 26,” he said.
He added that the mock examination selection would close on February 16, while the sale of Direct Entry application documents and e-PINs would begin on March 2 and end on April 25. Registration would also be available at all JAMB offices.
On age eligibility, Oloyede stated that only candidates who would be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, were eligible for the UTME.
He described admission for candidates below 16 as a rare exception, noting that underage candidates would undergo intensive evaluation to qualify for a waiver.
Such candidates, he said, must score at least 80 per cent in the UTME, A’ Level, Post-UTME, SSCE and an exceptional candidate assessment before their results could be released.
Oloyede also warned against examination malpractice, revealing that JAMB uncovered syndicates during the 2025 UTME involved in identity manipulation, including the use of multiple National Identification Numbers (NINs).
“Any candidate found engaging in multiple registrations or identity manipulation will have all associated registrations cancelled and will be disqualified from the examination and admission processes,” he warned.
