The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced the commencement of the sale of application documents for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry admissions for the 2026/2027 academic session.
The announcement was made in a photostatement released on Tuesday night via the Board’s official X handle, inviting suitably qualified candidates to apply for admission into tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
JAMB stated that eligibility is tied to age, noting that only candidates who will be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, are generally qualified to apply and be considered for admission. However, the Board made provisions for underage candidates under strict conditions.
According to the Board, candidates who will be below 16 years by the specified date must undergo an intensive evaluation process to qualify for a waiver. Such candidates are required to score not less than 80 percent in each of the UTME or A-Level examinations, Post-UTME, Senior School Certificate Examination, and the exceptional candidate assessment. The Board added that the UTME results of underage candidates will only be released after the completion of the full evaluation process.
On registration timelines, JAMB disclosed that registration for UTME candidates, including those applying from foreign countries, will run from Monday, January 26, 2026, to Saturday, February 28, 2026. E-PIN vending for UTME candidates is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 19, 2026, and will end on Thursday, February 26, 2026, while registration will close on February 28, 2026.
For Direct Entry candidates, the Board said the sale of application documents and E-PIN vending will commence on Monday, March 2, 2026, and end on Saturday, April 25, 2026. It added that Direct Entry registration will only be conducted at the Board’s state and zonal offices nationwide.
JAMB also announced that three categories of e-PINS will be available for the 2026 admission exercise, covering Direct Entry, UTME without Mock, and UTME with Mock, with prices ranging from ₦5,700 to ₦8,700. The Board explained that the cost covers application fees, reading texts, CBT centre registration and examination charges, bank charges, and mock examination fees where applicable.
On examination dates, the Board said the 2026 UTME will commence on Thursday, April 16, 2026, and conclude on Saturday, April 25, 2026, while the optional Mock-UTME is scheduled to hold on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
