UTME 2026: JAMB Announces When First Batch of Results Will Be Released
- The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board confirmed that results for candidates who sat the UTME on April 16 would be released before midnight
- The board said an official announcement would follow once the results were fully processed and made available on its platforms
- The release marked the first batch of results for the 2026 UTME, a key step for candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced when the first batch of results for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination will be released.
Candidates who sat for the examination on Thursday, 16 April 2026, should expect to receive their results before midnight on Friday, April 17, JAMB says.
Source: Facebook
The announcement was made in a brief statement issued by the board’s public communication adviser, Fabian Benjamin.
According to the board, an official update will be provided once the results are fully processed and ready for access.
The statement also indicated that the information would be shared through its official channels.
Unusual early release of results by JAMB
This year's early release will be the first time in a very long while that the board will be quickly releasing the results of the exercise.
In previous years, candidates had to wait until the end of the examination period, which always spanned two weeks, before all the results were released at once.
It is unclear why there has been a change in approach to this year's method, but the announcement caught many candidates off guard, some of whom were expecting the week to pass before they could access their results.
Officials order Muslim UTME candidates to remove hijab
Earlier in another story, Legit.ng reported that a hijab-wearing Muslim female JAMB candidate has reportedly been disallowed from entering and sitting for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination due to her religious dress.
The event took place at Esther Oshikoya CBT Centre, a JAMB exam centre in Ibadan, Oyo state, as the 2026 UTME officially commences on Thursday, April 16, nationwide.
Source: Getty Images
The report was shared by an X user, @AlfaShehu01, who raised an alarm that a Muslim female candidate had her constitutionally-enshrined rights violated at the JAMB exam centre as they were asked to remove their veils or forfeit the annual examination.
He wrote:
"Candidates wearing hijab are being compelled to remove their hijab before being allowed to sit for their JAMB exams at this centre. This is a direct violation of the candidates’ constitutional right to freedom of religion and JAMB’s own guidelines that permit hijab during"
JAMB re-arrests fake UTME agent
Legit.ng reported that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation 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.
Source: Legit.ng
