Newsworth | Danjuma Amodu | January 14, 2026
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has formally announced the commencement of sales of application forms for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) admissions into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and other tertiary institutions for the 2026/2027 academic session.
The announcement was issued Tuesday evening via JAMB’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, signed by Registrar Professor Ishaq Oloyede.
Registration for the 2026 UTME opens on Monday, 26 January 2026, and closes on Saturday, 28 February 2026, inclusive of candidates applying from abroad. E-PIN vending for UTME commences on Monday, 19 January 2026 and concludes on Wednesday, 26 February 2026.
The main UTME examinations will be held from Thursday, 16 April to Saturday, 25 April 2026, with an optional Mock-UTME scheduled for Saturday, 28 March 2026.
For Direct Entry applicants, the sale of application documents and e-PIN vending begins on Monday, 2 March 2026 and closes on Saturday, 25 April 2026.
Registration for DE candidates will be conducted exclusively at JAMB’s state and zonal offices across the country.
Possession of a valid National Identification Number (NIN) is mandatory for all candidates prior to registration. Candidates must be at least 16 years old by 30 September 2026 to be eligible for admission consideration. Underage candidates may be granted special consideration under strict conditions, requiring a minimum score of 80 per cent in UTME, A-Level, Post-UTME and Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSCE), as well as satisfactory performance in JAMB’s exceptional candidate assessment. Results for such candidates will only be released following the completion of this evaluation process.
JAMB cautions that registration must be completed once and duplicate entries will be cancelled. All registrations are cashless and require biometric capture at accredited CBT centres.
Fees are as follows: ₦5,700 for Direct Entry; ₦7,200 for UTME without Mock; and ₦8,700 for UTME inclusive of Mock.
Professor Oloyede urged prospective candidates to adhere strictly to the guidelines and timelines to avoid disqualification, emphasising that JAMB remains the sole authorised body responsible for coordinating admissions into Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
