The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially announced the start 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 Professor Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of the Board, and shared on JAMB’s official Twitter handle on Tuesday night. According to the statement, applications are open to suitably qualified candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
JAMB stated that eligibility to apply is largely determined by age, explaining that only candidates who will be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, are generally qualified to apply or be considered for admission. However, the Board noted that underage candidates could still be considered under strict conditions.
It explained that candidates who will be below 16 years of age by the stated date would be required to undergo an intensive evaluation process to determine their eligibility for a waiver. Such candidates must score a minimum of 80% in each of the UTME, A-Level, Post-UTME, Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), and the exceptional candidate assessment. JAMB added that the UTME results of underage candidates would only be released after the completion of the entire evaluation process.
On registration timelines, the Board announced that UTME registration, including for candidates from foreign countries, would run from Monday, January 26, 2026, to Saturday, February 28, 2026. It further disclosed that e-PIN vending for UTME would begin on Monday, January 19, 2026, and end on Thursday, February 26, 2026, while registration would officially close on February 28, 2026.
For Direct Entry candidates, JAMB stated that the sale of DE application documents and e-PIN vending would commence on Monday, March 2, 2026, and end on Saturday, April 25, 2026. The Board noted that DE registration would only be conducted at its State and Zonal Offices nationwide.
The examination body also announced three categories of e-PINs, namely: Direct Entry at ₦5,700; UTME only without Mock at ₦7,200; and UTME with Mock at ₦8,700.
According to JAMB, the cost breakdown covers the JAMB application fee of ₦3,500, reading text of ₦1,000, CBT centre registration service charge of ₦700, CBT centre UTME service charge of ₦1,500, bank charges of ₦500, and an additional ₦1,500 for candidates opting for the Mock-UTME.
The Board also fixed the examination dates, announcing that the 2026 UTME would be conducted from Thursday, April 16, to Saturday, April 25, 2026, while the optional Mock-UTME is scheduled to be held on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
