JAMB Opens Portal for Change of Institution, Course After 2026 UTME

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has officially opened its portal for candidates seeking to change their institution or course of choice after sitting for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The announcement was made in a statement released by JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, who confirmed that the process is now active nationwide.

According to the examination body, candidates who are no longer satisfied with their initially selected institution or programme can now begin the correction and change process through any accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre across Nigeria.

JAMB advised affected candidates to visit only approved CBT centres to avoid errors, fraudulent operators, and issues that could affect their admission processing.

The board explained that the change of institution and course process allows candidates to adjust their admission preferences based on their UTME scores, admission chances, preferred schools, or updated career decisions.

The development comes as many universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and other tertiary institutions begin preparations for the 2026 admission exercise.

In addition to opening the portal for changes, JAMB also announced that printing of the original 2026 UTME result slip will officially commence on Monday, May 18, 2026.

The original UTME result slip is an important admission document required during post-UTME screening, admission verification, scholarship applications, and institutional clearance exercises.

Unlike the notification slip earlier released after the examination, the original result slip usually contains candidates’ passport photographs and other official details required for admission processing.

Candidates are therefore advised to print and keep multiple copies of the original result slip for future admission-related activities.

Education experts say the activation of the change of institution portal typically triggers increased admission activities nationwide, as candidates begin reassessing their admission chances into federal universities, state universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and private institutions.

Many candidates are expected to take advantage of the opportunity to switch to institutions with lower cut-off marks, less competitive courses, or schools with higher admission quotas.

JAMB also urged candidates to carefully verify all information before submitting any changes to avoid mistakes that may complicate their admission process later.

The board has repeatedly warned candidates against patronising cybercafés or unauthorised centres for admission-related services, stressing that only accredited CBT centres are recognised for official JAMB transactions.

With the 2026 admission season gradually gaining momentum, candidates are expected to closely monitor updates from their preferred institutions regarding cut-off marks, post-UTME screening dates, and admission requirements.