The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced that the sale of forms for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry will begin on January 26.
The Board made this known in a photostatement signed by its Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, and shared on its official X handle on Tuesday night.
JAMB said applications are open to qualified candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions for the 2026/2027 academic session.
It stated that only candidates who will be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026 are eligible to apply. However, underage candidates may be considered under strict conditions.
According to the Board, candidates below 16 years must score not less than 80 per cent in UTME or A-Level, Post-UTME, SSCE and an exceptional candidate assessment to qualify for a waiver. It added that the UTME results of such candidates will only be released after the full evaluation process.
On registration timelines, JAMB said UTME registration, including for candidates from foreign countries, will run from Monday, January 26 to Saturday, February 28, 2026.
It added that e-PIN vending for UTME will start on January 19 and end on February 26, while registration will close on February 28.
For Direct Entry candidates, JAMB said the sale of DE forms and e-PINs will begin on March 2 and end on April 25, 2026. It noted that DE registration will only be done at the Board’s state and zonal offices.
The Board announced three e-PIN categories. Direct Entry costs N5,700, UTME without mock costs N7,200, while UTME with mock costs N8,700.
JAMB explained that the fees cover the application form, reading text, CBT registration charges, UTME service charge, bank charges and mock examination fee where applicable.
On the examination dates, the Board said the 2026 UTME will hold from April 16 to April 25, 2026, while the optional mock examination is scheduled for March 28, 2026.
