RismadarVoice Reporters
January 25, 2026
Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that registration for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will take place between January 26 and February 28 at all approved Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, made the disclosure on Saturday in Lagos during a meeting with Commissioners for Education ahead of the 2025 UTME and Direct Entry (DE) exercises.
Oloyede explained that the sale of UTME application documents, known as ePINs, would commence earlier than the actual registration period.
“The sale of UTME application documents, which is the ePIN, will start earlier than the commencement of actual registration, which is from January 19 to February 26,” he said.
“Actual UTME registration period is between January 26 and February 28 at all approved CBT centres.”
He further disclosed that the mock examination selection would close on February 16, while the sale of Direct Entry application documents and ePIN vending would begin on March 2 and end on April 25.
“The close of mock selection is February 16, while the sale of DE application documents and ePIN vending will commence on March 2 and close by April 25,” the registrar said.
Oloyede also announced a change in the handling of results for underage candidates, stating that unlike previous years, their UTME results would only be released after the completion of a full evaluation process.
According to him, the measure is intended to ensure proper assessment of candidates seeking age waivers.
On monitoring, the Registrar said all CBT centres participating in the UTME registration exercise would be monitored live from JAMB headquarters.
He warned that any centre whose registration activities could not be viewed in real time would not be paid, and such registrations could be invalidated.
Oloyede revealed that 924 CBT centres had been screened and provisionally listed, adding that they would still undergo a final test before being fully accredited for the registration and examination.
“They will go through the final test before final accreditation,” he said.
He also clarified that candidates are not required to pay any service charge to CBT centres, stressing that only the JAMB-approved registration fees apply.
Addressing complaints about distant examination postings, Oloyede said JAMB does not post candidates outside the towns selected during registration, urging candidates to register early.
“Late registration may limit candidates’ chances of securing their preferred towns,” he said, adding that selecting a group of towns means candidates may be posted to any town within that group.
The Registrar further warned candidates to truthfully declare their previous registration and admission history, noting that some candidates were involved in examination malpractice during the 2024 UTME.
He explained that it is a criminal offence to run more than one undergraduate programme concurrently.
“Failure to disclose such prior admission is an offence which will be sanctioned,” he said.
On age eligibility, Oloyede stated that candidates must be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, to be eligible for the UTME and admission.
He, however, noted that underage candidates could be considered for a waiver after undergoing a rigorous evaluation process.
“Underage candidates who will be less than 16 years old by September 30, 2026, will undergo an intensive evaluation to determine their eligibility for a waiver, and such candidates must score not less than 80 per cent in each of UTME, A’Level, Post-UTME, SSCE and the exceptional candidate assessment,” he said.
