The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has firmly ruled out any extension of the ongoing registration for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), stressing that the process will close on Thursday, February 26, 2026.
In a statement released in its weekly bulletin on Monday, the examination body urged prospective candidates to complete their registration early, warning that the deadline will not be moved under any circumstances.
JAMB expressed concern over the low turnout at several accredited registration centres across the country, despite the registration exercise being well underway. The Board cautioned candidates against the familiar habit of waiting until the last days to register and then calling for an extension.
According to JAMB, such behaviour will not be tolerated this year.
“This recurring practice where candidates deliberately delay registration and later agitate for an extension will not be entertained,” the Board stated.
The examination body also alleged that some examination cheats and individuals posing as tutorial centre operators are deliberately misleading candidates to postpone registration. JAMB explained that such tactics are often aimed at forcing an extension, which then allows candidates to troop en masse to centres, a situation that creates room for examination malpractice.
JAMB said it is fully aware of these deliberate strategies and has already taken them into account in its planning, reiterating that there will be no extension of the registration period.
The Board recalled that registration for the 2026 UTME began on January 26, 2026, and was scheduled to run for five weeks, a timeline it said remains unchanged.
It disclosed that about one million candidates have already shown interest in the examination, while many others have obtained their ePINs and are expected to complete their registration soon.
JAMB further explained that extending the registration window would be impractical, as its examination calendar is closely coordinated with those of other national examination bodies.
“Any extension would disrupt this carefully aligned schedule and interfere with timelines already allocated to other examinations,” the Board said.
Candidates were therefore advised to register early, avoid last-minute rushes, and disregard any claims suggesting that the UTME registration deadline will be extended.
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