By Micah Jonah
January 28, 2026
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified that candidates currently enrolled in tertiary institutions are allowed to register for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE), but must disclose their matriculation status or risk losing both admissions.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Board’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, JAMB said some individuals had misrepresented its registration guidelines, thereby misleading candidates and parents.
According to the Board, it is not an offence for a candidate to register for UTME or Direct Entry while still studying in another institution, but failure to declare such status is a violation of its rules.
Benjamin explained that disclosure simply means that once a candidate secures a new admission through the latest registration, the former admission automatically becomes invalid, as no candidate is allowed to hold two admissions at the same time under the law.
He added that the directive is also aimed at curbing the activities of some matriculated students who have been discovered to engage in professional examination malpractice.
JAMB warned that although its system can detect prior matriculation, candidates who fail to disclose their status stand the risk of forfeiting both the old and new admissions when detected.
The Board advised the public to rely only on official information and avoid misleading interpretations spread by so-called education advocates seeking online attention.
JAMB further disclosed that registration for the 2026 UTME officially commenced on January 26, adding that any Computer Based Test centre whose activities cannot be monitored remotely will not be allowed to participate in the registration process.
The policy, tagged “No Vision, No Registration, No UTME,” is part of efforts to curb registration infractions and strengthen the integrity of its examination system.
