JAMB Sets January 26 Start Date for Sale of 2026 UTME Forms
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that the sale of registration forms for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will commence nationwide on Monday, January 26, 2026.
The Board assured prospective candidates of a seamless registration process, noting that adequate measures have been put in place to ensure efficient service delivery across all approved registration centres nationwide.
Candidates were advised to register strictly at JAMB accredited Computer Based Test (CBT) centres, Professional Registration Centres, and JAMB offices. Speaking during a meeting with key stakeholders, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, urged candidates with discrepancies in their biodata such as names, dates of birth, or other personal details to resolve such issues with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) before beginning registration.
Prof. Oloyede stressed that JAMB would not alter candidate information, explaining that all data used by the Board would be generated directly from NIMC records.
He disclosed that UTME registration, including for candidates in foreign countries, will run from Monday, January 26 to Saturday, February 28, 2026. He added that e-PIN vending for UTME began on Monday, January 19 and will end on Thursday, February 26, 2026, while registration officially closes on Saturday, February 28, 2026.
For Direct Entry (DE) candidates, Prof. Oloyede announced that the sale of application documents and e-PIN vending will commence on Monday, March 2 and end on Saturday, April 25, 2026. He noted that DE registration will be conducted exclusively at JAMB zonal and state offices.
JAMB also released the approved e-PIN categories and charges for the 2026 exercise:
- Direct Entry (DE): ₦5,700
- UTME only (without Mock): ₦7,200
- UTME with Mock: ₦8,700
The breakdown of the charges includes:
- UTME/DE application fee: ₦3,500
- Reading text: ₦1,000
- CBT centre registration service charge: ₦700
- CBT centre UTME service charge: ₦1,500
- Bank charges: ₦500
- Mock-UTME centre charge: ₦1,500
The Registrar further announced that the optional Mock UTME will hold on Saturday, March 28, 2026, while the main UTME examination is scheduled to run from Thursday, April 16 to Saturday, April 25, 2026.
Prof. Oloyede issued a stern warning to CBT centres against fraudulent and unethical practices, including extortion, overcharging, and registration irregularities. He said any centre found guilty will face severe sanctions, including withdrawal of licence and possible prosecution. He also cautioned centre operators against engaging staff of questionable character, noting that proprietors will be held accountable for the actions of their ad-hoc staff.
JAMB also introduced a new compliance policy tagged “No Vision, No Registration, No UTME.” According to the Registrar, all CBT centres participating in the 2026 registration exercise will be monitored live from JAMB headquarters in Abuja. Any centre whose registration activities cannot be viewed remotely will not be paid and may have its registration invalidated.
He announced that the use of Microsoft or Digitech live cameras is now mandatory for UTME registration and remains the only approved method for capturing candidates’ second images. In addition, all CBT centres must migrate to HIKVision CCTV systems with recommended NVR/DVR equipment and a minimum of 16 channels to ensure full coverage. Wireless CCTV systems are prohibited.
The cameras, he said, must cover examination halls, verification areas, holding rooms, walkways, server rooms, as well as entrance and exit points. Centres that fail to comply will face sanctions, including possible prosecution. JAMB will also not bear the cost of CCTV router reconfiguration, as centres are required to handle this at their own expense.
The Registrar recalled that centres and individuals previously involved in examination malpractice have already been delisted and are currently being prosecuted, warning that the Board will not hesitate to sanction any operator or individual found engaging in malpractice.
