Prospective candidates have been reminded by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, or JAMB, that the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) registration deadline is February 26, 2026.
Candidates who plan to take the test were instructed by the board to finish registering right away, as there would be no extension of the deadline.
The board’s weekly bulletin, which was published on Monday, includes this.
At this point in the exercise, the board was concerned about the low number of candidates attending a number of certified registration centers.
It declared that in 2026, the persistent practice of waiting until the last minute to register and then requesting an extension will not be accepted.
“This repeated trend, in which candidates purposefully postpone registration until the last few days and then start lobbying for an extension, will not be tolerated in 2026.
“Jambo is well aware of the intentional strategies used by exam cheaters and people posing as owners of tutorial centers to deceitfully suggest that applicants postpone enrollment until the last minute.
It stated that “this strategy is often intended to force an extension of the registration period, thereby enabling the mass movement of candidates to centers in groups, which facilitates examination malpractice.”
The 2026 UTME registration period, according to JAMB, began on January 26 and was set to run for five weeks. The timing, however, remained the same.
About a million candidates have expressed interest in the test thus far, according to the board, and many of them have already obtained their ePINs and are anticipated to finish registration as soon as possible.
It further stated that because its working schedule coincided with that of other examination bodies, it was not feasible to prolong the registration period.
Candidates were instructed by JAMB to register in advance, to prevent last-minute rush, and to ignore any indication that the deadline will be extended.
The board emphasized that candidates who did not take action within the allotted period would not be held accountable.
