No fewer than 2.2 million candidates have commenced the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), as the nationwide exercise began on Thursday across accredited centres.
The examination, conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), is scheduled to run from April 16 to April 22, with hundreds of Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres participating across the country.
JAMB Registrar, Is-haq Oloyede, charged officials to maintain high standards of professionalism, stressing that the success of the examination depends largely on their efficiency and commitment. He gave the directive during a virtual briefing with technical officers ahead of the exercise.
Oloyede commended staff and service providers for their performance during the mock examination but noted that some of the challenges encountered were linked to inadequate evaluation of examination centres. He added that the board would reward teams that demonstrate outstanding performance, particularly in the timely handling of materials and submission of reports.
Reaffirming the board’s strict stance against malpractice, the registrar warned candidates against bringing prohibited items into examination halls. He said advanced security measures, including biometric verification and real-time monitoring systems, have been deployed to safeguard the integrity of the process.
Candidates whose biometric data cannot be verified, he noted, will be rescheduled to sit the examination at designated centres.
The UTME remains one of Nigeria’s largest coordinated examinations, requiring extensive logistics, manpower, and technical coordination nationwide. To ensure smooth operations and reduce congestion, each day’s examination is divided into four sessions.
A total of 966 CBT centres have been approved for the exercise, with each required to meet operational standards such as functional systems, stable internet connectivity, and trained personnel.
Meanwhile, early reports from monitored centres indicate a generally smooth start. At a CBT centre in Jahi, Abuja, the first session scheduled for 8:30 am commenced shortly after, around 8:40 am.
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