The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has called on candidates intending to register for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) to commence the create their profiles immediately.
The board issued the update in its weekly bulletin, urging candidates to ensure their National Identification Number (NIN) details are accurate before creating their profiles ahead of the registration exercise.
JAMB warned that errors in NIN data could lead to avoidable challenges during registration and subsequent examination processes.
What they are saying
According to JAMB, candidates who have not yet created profiles should do so now to avoid last-minute issues.
“The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) wishes to inform all candidates desirous of registering for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry(DE) that they should proceed to create their JAMB profiles if they have not already done so
Candidates must ensure that their NIN details are correctly captured before initiating profile creation,” the board stated.
JAMB explained that registration for the 2026 UTME and DE could commence at any time and encouraged candidates to prepare in advance by ensuring all personal data is correct and consistent across relevant databases.
The board further highlighted that opportunities for correcting personal information are limited due to challenges often associated with correction windows.
“In view of this, candidates are advised to take personal responsibility for the accuracy of their details from the onset, as requests for corrections may not always be accommodated, “the board stated.
No likely increase in UTME/DE application fees
JAMB has assured Nigerians, particularly parents and prospective candidates, that the cost of UTME and DE application documents has not increased in the last nine years. For the 2026 registration exercise, the board says fees are unlikely to change unless absolutely necessary to maintain the integrity and quality of the examinations.
The board emphasized that this policy aligns with the government’s human-face directives, considering the economic realities faced by Nigerian families.
What you should know
JAMB conducted a nationwide accreditation of 848 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres for the 2026 UTME, starting December 15, as part of its preparations to ensure standardization, security, and technical readiness ahead of the examination.
- The exercise follows the 2025 UTME, which was marred by technical glitches affecting nearly 380,000 candidates in 157 centres, alongside cases of identity and biometric fraud, as well as leaked questions and irregularities at several centres.
- In 2025, four centres were removed from the approved list due to operational deficiencies, forcing affected candidates to reprint examination slips and sit elsewhere.
- For the 2026 exercise, accreditation teams are assessing centres for compliance with technical requirements, including proper CCTV coverage, network configurations to support biometric verification, functional laptops, and adequately sized registration halls and holding rooms.
The accreditation process involves multiple stakeholders, including Chief External Examiners, Chief Technical Advisors, zonal directors, state coordinators, IT officers, and members of the Computer Professionals Association of Nigeria. JAMB’s Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, stressed that centres failing to meet these standards should not be accredited.
