2.2 million candidates sit 2026 UTME nationwide

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No fewer than 2.2 million candidates are expected to sit the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, which commenced nationwide on Thursday.

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The examination, organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, will run from April 16 to April 22 across accredited centres in the country.

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JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, urged examination officials to demonstrate professionalism and commitment, noting that the success of the exercise depends largely on their performance.

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Oloyede gave the charge during a virtual briefing for technical officers ahead of the examination.

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

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The registrar said incentive packages would be provided for teams that demonstrate exceptional performance, including timely handling of examination materials and submission of reports.

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

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According to him, biometric verification and real-time monitoring systems have been deployed to ensure the credibility of the examination.

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Oloyede added that candidates whose biometric details could not be verified would be rescheduled to take the examination at designated centres.

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The UTME is one of the country’s largest coordinated examinations, involving extensive logistics and personnel nationwide.

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Each day’s exercise is divided into four sessions to ease congestion at Computer-Based Test centres and improve verification processes.

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

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

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