2026 UTME Begins Nationwide with 2.2 Million Candidates

No fewer than 2.2 million candidates are expected to take the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which began across the country on Thursday.

The examination, conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), will run from April 16 to April 22 at accredited computer-based test centres nationwide.

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, urged examination officials to demonstrate professionalism and commitment, noting that the success of the exercise largely depends on their performance. He gave the charge during a virtual briefing for technical officers ahead of the examination.

Oloyede commended staff and service providers for their roles in the conduct of the mock examination but observed that most challenges recorded were due to inadequate assessment of centres.

He said incentive packages would be provided for teams that show exceptional performance, including the timely handling of examination materials and submission of reports.

The registrar reiterated the board’s zero-tolerance stance on examination malpractice and warned candidates against bringing prohibited items into the examination hall.

According to him, biometric verification and real-time monitoring systems have been deployed to ensure the credibility of the examination. He added that candidates whose biometric details could not be verified would be rescheduled to take the examination at designated centres.

The UTME remains one of the country’s largest coordinated examinations, involving extensive logistics and personnel across the nation. Each day’s exercise is divided into four sessions to ease congestion at CBT centres and improve verification processes.

About 966 centres are participating in the 2026 exercise, each required to meet operational standards, including functional systems, stable connectivity, and trained personnel.

A correspondent who monitored a centre in Jahi, Abuja, reported that the first session, scheduled for 8:30 am, commenced at about 8:40 am.