The 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has officially commenced across Nigeria, with about 2.2 million candidates participating in the exercise.
The examination, conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), began on Thursday and is scheduled to run from April 16 to April 22 at accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, charged examination officials to uphold professionalism and ensure strict compliance with operational guidelines, stressing that the success of the exercise depends largely on their commitment.
He gave the directive during a virtual briefing for technical officers ahead of the examination, commending staff and service providers for their performance during the mock examination exercise. However, he noted that many of the challenges recorded were due to insufficient assessment of centres.
Oloyede also announced that incentive packages would be introduced for teams that demonstrate exceptional performance, particularly in the timely handling of examination materials and submission of reports.
Reaffirming the board’s zero-tolerance policy on malpractice, he warned candidates against bringing prohibited items into examination halls. He added that biometric verification and real-time monitoring systems have been deployed to ensure the credibility of the examination.
Candidates whose biometric data cannot be verified will be rescheduled to sit the exam at designated centres, he said.
The UTME remains one of Nigeria’s largest examinations, involving extensive logistics and personnel coordination nationwide. Each day’s exercise is conducted in four sessions to reduce congestion at CBT centres and improve verification processes.
A total of about 966 CBT centres are participating in the 2026 exercise, each required to meet strict operational standards, including functional systems, stable internet connectivity, and trained personnel.
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