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 announcement was contained in a photostatement signed by the Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, and shared on the Board’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday night.
According to the statement, applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions across Nigeria for the 2026/2027 academic session.
JAMB stated that eligibility is primarily age-based, noting that only candidates who will be at least 16 years old by 30 September 2026 are generally eligible to apply or be considered for admission.
However, the Board made provisions for underage candidates under strict conditions. It explained that candidates who will be below 16 years by the stipulated date would be required to undergo an intensive evaluation process to qualify for a waiver.
“Candidates less than 16 years old by 30th September, 2026 will have to undergo an intensive evaluation to determine their eligibility for a waiver. Such candidates must have scored not less than 80 per cent in each of UTME/A’Level, PUTME, SSCE and the exceptional candidate assessment,” the statement read.
JAMB added that the UTME results of underage candidates would only be released after the completion of the evaluation process.
On the registration timeline, the Board disclosed that registration for UTME candidates, including those from foreign countries, will run from Monday, 26 January 2026, to Saturday, 28 February 2026. It added that e-PIN vending for UTME will commence on Monday, 19 January 2026, and end on Thursday, 26 February 2026, while registration will officially close on Saturday, 28 February 2026.
For Direct Entry candidates, JAMB announced that the sale of 2026 DE application documents and e-PIN vending will begin on Monday, 2 March 2026, and end on Saturday, 25 April 2026. The Board noted that DE registration would only be conducted at its state and zonal offices nationwide.
The examination body also outlined three categories of e-PINs. According to JAMB, Direct Entry e-PINs will cost ₦5,700, UTME-only e-PINs without mock examination will cost ₦7,200, while UTME e-PINs with mock examination will cost ₦8,700.
The Board provided a breakdown of the fees, which includes a ₦3,500 UTME/DE application fee, ₦1,000 for the reading text, ₦700 CBT centre registration service charge, ₦1,500 CBT centre UTME service charge, ₦500 bank charges, and ₦1,500 CBT mock-UTME centre charge where applicable.
JAMB also announced the examination schedule, stating that the 2026 UTME will hold from Thursday, 16 April 2026, to Saturday, 25 April 2026. The optional mock UTME is scheduled for Saturday, 28 March 2026.
The Board advised candidates to adhere strictly to the timelines and guidelines to ensure a smooth registration and examination process.
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