2026 UTME Kicks Off Today as 2.2 Million Candidates Prepare for Exams

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is set to commence the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) this morning, Thursday, April 16. Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT, approximately 2.2 million candidates are expected to begin the computer-based testing process which runs through April 22.

Final Readiness at 966 CBT Centres

As of the early hours of Thursday, JAMB has finalized the deployment of technical staff and proctors to 966 accredited centres. Following the delisting of 23 centres during the March mock trials for technical instability, the board has mandated that all remaining facilities pass a final systems check before the first 7:00 AM session begins.

Strict Biometric and Security Protocols

The 2026 cycle marks a heightened reliance on the National Identification Number (NIN) for candidate verification. Security personnel and JAMB officials have been instructed to enforce the following strictly as the doors open this morning:

No Biometrics, No Exam: Verification must be done via the board’s approved scanners. Manual verification is not permitted.

Prohibited Items: Wristwatches, pens, calculators, and mobile devices remain banned.

Arrival Time: Candidates for the first session are required to be at their venues by 6:30 AM for pre-exam screening.

Integrity Measures for the 2026 Cycle

Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede has confirmed that the board’s “Intelligent Monitoring System” is active to detect real-time disruptions. In a move to curb fraud, JAMB has already invalidated the registrations of over 100 individuals found to be using AI-manipulated documents during the registration phase.

Parents and guardians are warned to stay away from the immediate perimeter of the examination halls to avoid overcrowding and potential security interventions.