The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially opened the sale of application forms for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) admissions for the 2026/2027 academic year.

The announcement was contained in a photo statement issued by the Board and signed by its Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede. The statement was made public on Tuesday night via JAMB’s verified X (formerly Twitter) account.

According to the Board, applications are now open to candidates who meet the required qualifications for admission into Nigeria’s tertiary institutions for the upcoming academic session.

JAMB emphasized that age remains a key eligibility requirement, stating that applicants must be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, to be considered for admission. However, provisions have been made for candidates below the age limit under special circumstances.

The Board explained that underage applicants will be subjected to a rigorous screening process before they can qualify for an age waiver. Such candidates must attain a minimum score of 80 percent in each of UTME or A-Level results, Post-UTME, Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), and an additional assessment for exceptional candidates. It further noted that the UTME results of underage candidates will only be released after the entire evaluation process has been completed.

On registration schedules, JAMB disclosed that UTME registration, including applications from candidates outside Nigeria, will run from Monday, January 26, 2026, to Saturday, February 28, 2026.

The sale of e-PINs for UTME candidates is set to begin on Monday, January 19, 2026, and will close on Thursday, February 26, 2026, while final registration will end on February 28, 2026.

For Direct Entry applicants, the Board announced that the sale of DE application forms and e-PINs will commence on Monday, March 2, 2026, and conclude on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Registration for Direct Entry candidates will only be carried out at JAMB’s State and Zonal Offices nationwide.

JAMB also outlined three categories of e-PINs for the 2026 exercise. The Direct Entry e-PIN is priced at ₦5,700, while UTME candidates without the mock examination will pay ₦7,200. Candidates who opt for the UTME with mock examination will pay ₦8,700.

The Board explained that the fees cover various components, including a ₦3,500 application fee, ₦1,000 for the recommended reading text, ₦700 as CBT centre registration service charge, ₦1,500 as CBT UTME service charge, ₦500 bank charge, and an additional ₦1,500 for candidates participating in the mock UTME.

Regarding the examination schedule, JAMB announced that the 2026 UTME will take place from Thursday, April 16, to Saturday, April 25, 2026. The optional mock UTME is scheduled to hold on Saturday, March 28, 2026.