Has the 2026 UTME Been Postponed? JAMB Breaks Silence
- Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board reacted to claims of 2026 UTME postponement
- JAMB reaffirmed UTME would hold April 16–25, 2026, as earlier scheduled
- JAMB delisted over 20 CBT centres over technical failures and warned candidates against WhatsApp fraudsters promising score manipulation
FCT, Abuja - The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has refuted claims circulating online that the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has been postponed.
The board further described the information as false and misleading.
Source: Twitter
In a statement released on Saturday, April 4, the board urged candidates and the general public to ignore the purported press release, insisting that it did not originate from the examination body.
“Our attention has been drawn to the malicious press release stating that the 2026 UTME has been postponed. The general public, particularly the candidates, are by this notice informed that the press release is fake and did not emanate from us. Kindly disregard it. All activities on the 2026 UTME continue as scheduled,” the statement read.
UTME schedule remains unchanged
JAMB reaffirmed that the main examination will proceed as planned, maintaining its earlier timetable, Vanguard reported.
The board had previously announced that the 2026 UTME would take place between Thursday, April 16, and Saturday, April 25, 2026.
Mock examination records mixed outcomes
The clarification comes in the wake of the 2026 UTME mock examination held on Saturday, March 28, which experienced technical disruptions at a number of Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide.
According to the board, a total of 224,597 candidates registered for the mock exercise, while 152,586 successfully completed the test across 989 centres.
JAMB disclosed that more than 20 CBT centres affected by technical issues have since been removed from its list of approved venues.
“Over 20 CBT centres that experienced technical challenges have been delisted due to technical inadequacies,” the board added.
JAMB: Candidates warned against fraud
The examination body also raised concerns over fraudulent activities targeting candidates, particularly on messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Punch reported.
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JAMB cautioned candidates against engaging with individuals or groups promising to manipulate examination scores.
“Such claims are false and criminal. Any candidate found engaging in these activities risks cancellation of registration or withholding of results,” the board warned.
JAMB re-arrests suspected UTME results manipulator
Recently, Legit.ng reported that the board confirmed the re-arrest of a suspected examination fraudster linked to a scheme that targeted candidates registered for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
The suspect, Emmanuel Akataka, was taken back into custody after investigators established that he resumed fraudulent activities shortly after securing bail.
Officials said he previously operated under a false identity, “Official Frederick,” while running online platforms that promised candidates illegal score manipulation services.
UTME 2026: JAMB releases registration guidelines
Legit.ng also reported that JAMB released detailed guidelines for the registration of candidates for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Prospective candidates are required to have a National Identification Number (NIN), an email address, among others. Legit.ng reports that the JAMB 2026 UTME form will be on sale from Friday, January 31, 2026, until Saturday, March 8, 2026
Source: Legit.ng
