JAMB Opens Sale of 2026 UTME, Direct Entry Forms January 26, Releases Key Dates

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the commencement of the sale of application documents for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) for the 2026/2027 academic session.

This was disclosed in a photostatement signed by the Registrar of the Board, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, and shared on JAMB’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday night.

The Board invited suitably qualified candidates seeking admission into Nigerian Tertiary institutions to apply.

JAMB stated that eligibility is largely age-based, noting that only candidates who will be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, are generally eligible to apply and be considered for admission.

However, the Board made provisions for exceptionally gifted underage candidates. It explained that candidates who will be less than 16 years old by the stipulated date must undergo an intensive evaluation process to qualify for a waiver.

Such candidates are required to score not less than 80 per cent in UTME, A-Level, Post-UTME, SSCE, and the exceptional candidate assessment.

JAMB added that the UTME results of underage candidates will only be released after the conclusion of the full evaluation process.

On registration timelines, Global Mirror News gathered that UTME registration for candidates within Nigeria and those from foreign Countries will commence on Monday, January 26, 2026, and end on Saturday, February 28, 2026.

The sale and vending of e-PINs for UTME candidates will begin on Monday, January 19, 2026, and close on Thursday, February 26, 2026, while registration will officially close on February 28, 2026.

For Direct Entry candidates, the Board announced that the sale of 2026 DE application documents and e-PIN vending will begin on Monday, March 2, 2026, and end on Saturday, April 25, 2026. JAMB noted that Direct Entry registration will be conducted strictly at its State and Zonal Offices across the Country.

JAMB also disclosed that there will be three categories of e-PINs for the 2026 admission exercise. The Direct Entry e-PIN will cost ₦5,700, UTME only without mock examination is priced at ₦7,200, while UTME with mock examination will cost ₦8,700.

According to the Board, the fees cover several components, including a JAMB application fee of ₦3,500, reading text at ₦1,000, CBT centre registration service charge of ₦700, UTME CBT centre service charge of ₦1,500, bank charges of ₦500, and an additional ₦1,500 for candidates opting for the mock examination.

The Board also announced that details of the 2026 UTME and Direct Entry examination dates will be made public in due course.