The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that it will not extend the registration deadline for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), urging candidates to complete their enrolment before February 26 or forfeit the opportunity to sit for the examination.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Board said the sale of e-PINs — a mandatory requirement for registration — will close at 12:00 midnight on Thursday, February 26, 2026.
Candidates who have already purchased their e-PINs will have until Saturday, February 28, 2026, to complete their registration at accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide.
As of February 17, JAMB disclosed that more than 1.5 million candidates had successfully registered across the country. However, it expressed concern that registration centres are operating at only about 30 per cent of their daily capacity.
The Board noted that it has the infrastructure to register up to 100,000 candidates per day, a figure it said far exceeds the current turnout.
“The Board wishes to clearly state that there will be no extension of the registration deadline,” the statement emphasised.
JAMB explained that its examination timetable forms part of a nationally coordinated schedule agreed upon by all examination bodies in Nigeria, leaving no room for adjustments.
“The UTME registration window was carefully structured to ensure a seamless transition to other public examination exercises scheduled to follow. Consequently, there is no available window for any extension, even if the Board were inclined to consider one,” it said.
The examination body warned that candidates who delay registration until the final days risk facing avoidable challenges and stressed that it would not entertain appeals after the deadline.
Describing the notice as a proactive measure, JAMB urged prospective candidates to obtain their e-PINs immediately and proceed to accredited centres to complete the process.
The 2026 UTME is expected to attract millions of applicants seeking admission into tertiary institutions nationwide, making adherence to the registration timeline critical for aspirants.
