2.2m candidates begin 2026 UTME nationwide

ABUJA — The 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) commenced nationwide on Thursday, with over 2.2 million candidates expected to sit for the exercise across accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres.

The examination, organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, will run from April 16 to 22 in multiple daily sessions.

Registrar of JAMB, Is-haq Oloyede, charged examination officials to demonstrate professionalism and strict commitment, stressing that the success of the exercise depends largely on their conduct.

Oloyede gave the charge during a virtual final briefing for technical officers ahead of the examination, where he commended staff, ad hoc personnel, service providers and technical advisers for their role in the successful conduct of the mock examination.

He noted that most challenges recorded during the mock test were linked to inadequate assessment of centres by some technical officials.

The registrar said incentive packages would be introduced for teams that demonstrate exceptional performance, particularly in the handling of examination materials and timely submission of reports.

He reiterated the board’s zero-tolerance stance on examination malpractice and warned candidates against bringing prohibited items into examination halls.

According to him, advanced biometric verification and real-time monitoring systems have been deployed to safeguard the integrity of the examination.

Candidates whose biometric data cannot be verified, he said, will be rescheduled to sit the examination at approved centres.

The UTME, one of Nigeria’s largest annual examinations, is being conducted across 966 CBT centres nationwide, with each day divided into four sessions to reduce congestion and improve verification processes.

A correspondent monitoring the exercise at Aduvie International School, Jahi, reported that the first session, scheduled for 8:30 a.m., began at about 8:40 a.m