JAMB Clarifies: Enrolled University Students Can Sit 2026 UTME But Must Declare Status

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has clarified that students already enrolled in tertiary institutions are permitted to register for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, provided they disclose their current matriculation status.

The Board issued the clarification on Wednesday, following what it described as the “deliberate misrepresentation” of its guidelines by some commentators.

In a statement signed by its Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB emphasized that it is not an offence for a matriculated student to register for the UTME or Direct Entry. The offence, it stated, lies in failing to declare that existing enrolment.

“Disclosure simply means that once a candidate secures admission through the latest registration, the former admission automatically ceases to subsist. The law is explicit that no candidate is permitted to hold two admissions concurrently,” Benjamin explained.

The Board warned that candidates who fail to make this disclosure risk forfeiting both their current admission and any new one gained through the latest exam. It noted that while its systems can detect prior matriculation, the mandatory disclosure speeds up disciplinary action.

JAMB linked the policy to efforts aimed at curbing malpractice, noting that some already-enrolled students have been found working as “professional examination takers.”

The statement also cautioned the public against misleading information from “self-styled education advocates,” urging candidates and parents to rely only on the official guidelines.

This clarification comes as registration for the 2026 UTME began last week, with the Board implementing stricter monitoring rules for accredited Computer-Based Test centres to ensure the integrity of the process.