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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results of underage candidates, while clarifying that the release of the results does not automatically make the candidates eligible for admission.
JAMB disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by its Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin.
According to the board, an underage candidate for the 2026 admission exercise is any candidate who will be below 16 years old as of September 30, 2026.
What the statement is saying
JAMB said the results were released primarily to allow underage candidates, their parents and guardians to know their performance in the examination.
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However, the board stressed that the results cannot be used for admission or any other official purpose, except by candidates who meet the conditions prescribed for exceptional consideration.
- Candidates can check their results by sending “RESULT” to 55019 or 66019 using the same telephone number and SIM card with which they registered for the UTME.
- JAMB said only exceptionally performing underage candidates who meet its prescribed requirements will be considered for admission.
One of the requirements is a minimum UTME score of 320, alongside a minimum of 80% in relevant Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) subjects, where applicable.
- Candidates must also satisfy the Post-UTME requirements of their chosen institutions and participate in the final assessment prescribed by JAMB and conducted by experts.
The board explained that the process was designed to distinguish candidates who demonstrate exceptional academic ability and maturity from those who may have simply recorded strong UTME scores.
JAMB therefore advised candidates who do not meet the requirements against presenting their results to tertiary institutions or individuals in an attempt to secure admission.
Assessment process ongoing
The board said the assessment of exceptionally performing underage candidates is still ongoing, with some stages of the process yet to be completed.
Benjamin said JAMB would not conclude the process until candidates awaiting their National Examinations Council (NECO) results have an opportunity to submit them for verification.
- “The NECO results are yet to be released, and the Board would therefore await their release before proceeding to the final stage of the assessment process,” Benjamin said.
He added that JAMB would announce a date for the final assessment once the NECO results are released.
The board emphasised that admission consideration for underage candidates is not based solely on UTME performance, but on a broader assessment involving academic results, institutional requirements and expert evaluation.
JAMB also warned parents, guardians and candidates against individuals who claim they can secure admission for underage candidates outside the official process.
Get up to speed
JAMB’s release of the underage candidates’ results comes amid several changes and processes surrounding the 2026/2027 tertiary admission exercise.
- On September 1, 2026, JAMB and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) fixed the fee for O’Level result verification at N4,000, payable once during the admission process.
Under the arrangement, candidates whose admissions are coordinated by JAMB will verify their WAEC results through the JAMB platform. Once verified, the results will be made available to the institutions where the candidates are seeking admission for screening, admission processing and other administrative purposes.
JAMB and WAEC clarified that candidates who complete the verification will not be required to pay another verification fee to their institutions.
What you should know
Earlier in May, JAMB also opened the process for candidates who sat for the 2026 UTME to change their institution or course of study, allowing eligible candidates to modify their choices ahead of the admission process.
- This followed the board’s annual policy meeting on admissions, where stakeholders were scheduled to determine the minimum UTME cut-off marks for the 2026/2027 academic session.
- The 2026 UTME recorded significant participation, with more than 2.2 million candidates registering for the examination, which was conducted between April 16 and April 25, 2026.
JAMB had also projected N23.8 billion in internally generated revenue for 2026, representing a N4 billion increase from its 2025 target. The board said N6 billion of the projected revenue would be remitted to the Federation Account as operating surplus.
