JAMB Warns Candidates to Declare Previous Registration History to Curb Exam Malpractice

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reiterated that candidates must disclose any previous registration and admission history with the board, emphasizing that failure to do so constitutes examination malpractice. The directive comes following irregularities observed during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, made this clarification during a meeting in Lagos with State Commissioners for Education, ahead of the 2025 UTME and Direct Entry exercises. He highlighted that it is illegal to pursue more than one undergraduate program concurrently, and candidates found concealing prior admissions will face sanctions under the law.

Oloyede also confirmed that only candidates who will be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, are eligible to apply for the UTME. Underage applicants will undergo a rigorous evaluation, including assessments in UTME, A’Level, PUTME, SSCE, and exceptional candidate evaluations, and must score a minimum of 80 percent in each component to be considered for a waiver.

The Registrar provided the schedule for the 2026 UTME registration cycle, noting that the sale of application documents (ePINs) will begin on January 19, 2026, while actual registration at accredited CBT centres will run from January 26 to February 28. The mock selection process will close on February 16. For Direct Entry candidates, application documents and e-PIN vending will commence on March 2 and close on April 25.

Unlike previous years, the results for underage candidates will only be released after completion of the full evaluation process. All UTME registration centres will be monitored in real-time from JAMB Headquarters to ensure transparency. Centres whose activities cannot be verified remotely may have their registration invalidated and will not be remunerated.

Currently, 924 centres have been provisionally screened and will undergo final testing before accreditation for the 2026 UTME registration and examination exercises. Candidates are not required to pay any service charges to CBT centres, and JAMB confirms that candidates will only be assigned to examination towns they selected during registration.

Oloyede advised candidates to register early, as preferred towns may reach capacity. He further explained that selecting a group of towns allows candidates to be posted to any town within that group.

JAMB’s renewed emphasis on transparency and compliance seeks to strengthen the credibility of UTME and curb examination malpractice nationwide. Candidates and stakeholders are urged to adhere strictly to all registration guidelines to avoid disqualification or legal consequences.