The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB has announced the commencement of the sale of application documents for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) admissions for the 2026/2027 academic session.
The Board made the announcement in a photostatement signed by its Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, and shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday night.
According to the statement, applications are now open to suitably qualified candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions across Nigeria for the 2026/27 academic year.
JAMB explained that eligibility for admission is age-based, stressing that only candidates who will be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, will be considered for admission.
However, the Board provided a special window for underage candidates under strict conditions. It stated that candidates below 16 years by the stipulated date would be required to undergo an intensive evaluation to qualify for a waiver.
Such candidates must score a minimum of 80 per cent in UTME or A-Level, Post-UTME, Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE), and the exceptional candidate assessment.
JAMB added that the results of underage candidates would only be released after the completion of the entire evaluation process.
On the registration timeline, the Board disclosed that registration for UTME candidates, including those from foreign countries, will run from Monday, January 26, 2026, to Saturday, February 28, 2026.
It further revealed that the sale of e-PINs for UTME candidates will begin on Monday, January 19, 2026, and close on Thursday, February 26, 2026, while the registration exercise will officially end on February 28, 2026.
For Direct Entry candidates, JAMB announced that the sale of application documents and e-PINs will commence on Monday, March 2, 2026, and close on Saturday, April 25, 2026. The Board noted that DE registration will be conducted exclusively at its state and zonal offices nationwide.
The Board also outlined three categories of e-PINs, with Direct Entry priced at N5,700, UTME without mock examination at N7,200, and UTME with mock examination at N8,700.
A breakdown of the fees showed that the charges cover the JAMB application fee of N3,500, reading text of N1,000, CBT centre registration service charge of N700, CBT UTME service charge of N1,500, bank charges of N500, and an optional mock-UTME centre charge of N1,500.
On the examination schedule, JAMB disclosed that the 2026 UTME will hold from Thursday, April 16, to Saturday, April 25, 2026. It added that the optional mock UTME is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, 2026.
The Board urged candidates to adhere strictly to the registration guidelines and timelines to avoid disqualification.
