The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has advised candidates planning to sit for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry to begin creating their JAMB profiles immediately, ahead of the registration exercise.
The Board gave the directive in its weekly bulletin, stressing that candidates must first ensure their National Identification Number details are accurate before initiating profile creation. According to JAMB, errors in NIN records could create avoidable complications during registration and throughout the examination process.
JAMB noted that candidates who delay profile creation risk encountering last-minute challenges, as registration for the 2026 UTME and Direct Entry could commence at any time. The Board urged candidates to prepare early by confirming that their personal information is correct and consistent across all relevant databases.
It also warned that opportunities to correct personal data are often limited due to the challenges associated with correction windows. As a result, candidates were advised to take responsibility for the accuracy of their information from the outset, as correction requests may not always be accommodated.
On examination fees, JAMB assured parents and prospective candidates that the cost of UTME and Direct Entry application documents has remained unchanged for the past nine years. The Board said fees for the 2026 exercise are unlikely to increase unless absolutely necessary to preserve the quality and integrity of the examinations, noting that the policy aligns with the government’s human-face approach in light of prevailing economic conditions.
As part of preparations for the 2026 UTME, JAMB has also conducted a nationwide accreditation of 848 Computer-Based Test centres, which began on December 15. The exercise is aimed at ensuring standardisation, security and technical readiness ahead of the examinations.
The accreditation follows the 2025 UTME, which was affected by technical disruptions at several centres, impacting nearly 380,000 candidates. There were also reported cases of identity and biometric fraud, as well as examination irregularities, leading to the removal of four centres from the approved list and the relocation of affected candidates.
For the 2026 exercise, accreditation teams are assessing CBT centres for compliance with technical and operational requirements, including CCTV coverage, network configurations for biometric verification, functional computer systems and adequate examination facilities. The process involves multiple stakeholders, while the Board has reiterated that centres failing to meet required standards will not be accredited.
