By Hunvio Elizabeth The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has officially opened the gateway for candidates seeking admission into N...
By Hunvio Elizabeth
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has officially opened the gateway for candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions for the 2026 2027 academic session with the commencement of the sale of application forms for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry admissions.
The announcement was made on Tuesday in a statement signed by the Registrar of the Board Professor Ishaq Oloyede and shared on JAMB’s official X platform. According to the statement applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for admission into universities polytechnics colleges of education and other tertiary institutions across the country.
JAMB reaffirmed the age requirement for candidates noting that only those who will be at least 16 years old by 30 September 2026 are generally eligible to apply and be considered for admission. However the Board disclosed that special provisions have been made for underage candidates under strict conditions.
It explained that candidates below the age of 16 by the stated deadline would be subjected to an intensive evaluation process to determine their eligibility for a waiver. Such candidates must record not less than 80 percent in each of the UTME or A Level Post UTME Senior School Certificate Examination and the exceptional candidate assessment. The Board added that results of underage candidates would only be released after the completion of the full evaluation process.
On registration timelines JAMB announced that registration for UTME candidates including those from foreign countries will run from Monday 26 January 2026 to Saturday 28 February 2026. E PIN vending for UTME candidates is scheduled to begin on Monday 19 January 2026 and will close on Thursday 26 February 2026 while registration officially ends on Saturday 28 February 2026.
For Direct Entry candidates the Board stated that the sale of application documents and E PIN vending will commence on Monday 2 March 2026 and end on Saturday 25 April 2026. It added that Direct Entry registration will only be carried out at JAMB State and Zonal Offices nationwide.
JAMB also released the cost structure for the 2026 exercise announcing three categories of E PINs. Direct Entry candidates will pay N5,700 while UTME candidates opting out of the mock examination will pay N7,200. Those choosing to participate in the mock UTME will pay N8,700. The Board explained that the charges cover the application fee reading text CBT centre registration service UTME service charge bank charges and where applicable the mock UTME fee.
In terms of examination dates JAMB announced that the 2026 UTME will commence on Thursday 16 April 2026 and run until Saturday 25 April 2026. The optional mock UTME is scheduled to hold on Saturday 28 March 2026.
The Board advised candidates to adhere strictly to the registration guidelines and timelines stressing that the measures put in place are aimed at ensuring a smooth transparent and credible admission process for the 2026 2027 academic session.
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