The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has advised candidates intending to sit for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) to begin creating their profiles without delay, warning that postponement could lead to avoidable difficulties during registration.
Okay News reports that the examination body issued the advisory in its latest weekly bulletin, where it stressed that prospective candidates must first verify the accuracy of their National Identification Number (NIN) details before initiating the profile creation process.
According to the Board, inconsistencies or errors in NIN records have the potential to complicate registration and affect candidates throughout the examination cycle.
The Board cautioned that waiting until the official announcement of registration dates could expose candidates to last-minute challenges, noting that registration for the 2026 UTME and Direct Entry could commence at any time.
Candidates were therefore encouraged to prepare ahead by ensuring that their personal information is correct and consistent across all official platforms.
JAMB further warned that opportunities for correcting personal data are often limited due to operational constraints.
As a result, candidates were advised to take full responsibility for the accuracy of their details from the outset, as correction requests may not always be granted once registration is underway.
On the issue of examination fees, the Board reassured parents and candidates that the cost of UTME and Direct Entry application documents has remained unchanged for the past nine years.
It stated that fees for the 2026 examination are unlikely to increase unless absolutely necessary to maintain the quality and integrity of the testing process, adding that the policy reflects the Federal Government’s human-centred approach amid current economic realities.
As part of preparations for the 2026 UTME, JAMB disclosed that it has commenced a nationwide accreditation exercise for 848 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres, which began on December 15. The exercise is aimed at strengthening standardisation, security and technical readiness ahead of the examinations.
The Board explained that the accreditation exercise follows challenges recorded during the 2025 UTME, when technical disruptions at some centres affected nearly 380,000 candidates.
There were also reported cases of identity and biometric fraud, as well as other examination irregularities, which led to the delisting of four CBT centres and the relocation of affected candidates.
For the 2026 examination, accreditation teams are assessing centres for strict compliance with technical and operational standards, including CCTV coverage, biometric verification network configurations, functional computer systems and adequate examination facilities.
JAMB reiterated that any centre that fails to meet the required benchmarks will not be accredited for the upcoming exercise.
