JAMB: Over Two Million Candidates Take 2026 UTME Nationwide

At least two million candidates are participating in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which commenced nationwide on Thursday.

The examination, conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), is scheduled to begin on April 16 across accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide.

According to the agency, a total of 2,243,816 candidates registered for this year’s exercise, representing a 10.5 per cent increase from the 2.03 million recorded in 2025.

The examination is being held across accredited CBT centres, with sessions divided into four daily slots to ease congestion and enhance verification processes.

JAMB has deployed biometric verification and real-time monitoring systems to ensure the credibility and integrity of the examination.

It stated that candidates whose biometric details could not be verified would be rescheduled to sit the exam at designated centres.

Candidates have been advised to print their examination slips from the official JAMB portal to confirm their dates, venues, and times, and to arrive at least one hour before their scheduled sessions.

In a further move to improve efficiency, JAMB reviewed the examination timetable ahead of the exercise.

Under the revised schedule, first-session candidates are to arrive at 7:00 a.m., second-session candidates at 9:00 a.m., third-session candidates at 11:00 a.m., while the fourth session remains at 2:00 p.m.

The board noted that candidates were duly notified via SMS, email, and their online profiles.

A breakdown of registration figures shows that Lagos State recorded the highest number of candidates with 381,814, followed by Ogun (137,156), Oyo (122,662), Kaduna (103,498), and the Federal Capital Territory (102,961).

Other states include Rivers (105,584) and Kano (83,167), while Borno (13,483) and Zamfara (14,861) recorded the lowest figures.

Outside Nigeria, participation remains minimal, with Côte d’Ivoire leading with 32 candidates, followed by Equatorial Guinea (16), Burkina Faso (14), and the United Kingdom (12).

Countries such as Gambia, Ghana, and South Africa recorded fewer than ten candidates each.

Ahead of the examination, JAMB increased the number of CBT centres to about 1,000 nationwide to improve accessibility and logistics.

However, the board delisted 23 centres across several states, including the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Delta, Edo, and Plateau, due to technical deficiencies observed during the mock UTME.

The board said the decision was necessary to maintain operational standards and safeguard the integrity of the exercise.

Police Deployment

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has dismissed reports of insecurity at some examination centres, describing such claims as unfounded while acknowledging public concerns.

The police said additional security personnel, including patrol teams, perimeter surveillance units, and rapid response squads, had been deployed nationwide to ensure a safe environment for candidates.

The agency added that it is working in collaboration with other security agencies to monitor and address any potential threats.

The force assured candidates and parents of adequate security, urging candidates to comply with examination guidelines, arrive early, and report any suspicious activities.

It also advised the public to disregard unverified reports on social media and rely on official communication channels.

JAMB reiterated its commitment to transparency in the admission process, warning candidates against accepting admissions outside its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).

The board emphasised that any admission conducted outside CAPS is illegal and will not be recognised.