Breaking: JAMB Bars Automatic Admission as It Releases 2026 UTME Results for Underage Candidates
- JAMB released the 2026 UTME results of all underage candidates for viewing, but attached strict conditions to any admission consideration
- An underage candidate is any applicant who will be below 16 years of age as of September 30, 2026, according to JAMB
- Candidates seeking exceptional admission must score at least 320 in the UTME and hit 80% in relevant SSCE subjects
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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has made the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results of underage candidates available for viewing, while making clear that the release carries no automatic right to admission.
JAMB's Acting Director of Public Affairs and Protocols, Fabian Benjamin, said an underage candidate is any applicant who will be below 16 years of age as of September 30, 2026.
Source: Twitter
He said the results were published to allow candidates, parents, and guardians to check performance figures, not to signal eligibility for university placement.
Conditions for exceptional admission
Benjamin said underage candidates who wish to be considered for admission must fulfil strict requirements under the board's exceptional admission policy.
Such candidates must show outstanding academic ability and sufficient personal maturity before they can proceed, and even then, they must pass through multiple stages of assessment and verification.
To qualify, a candidate must achieve a minimum UTME score of 320 and earn at least 80 per cent in the relevant Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination subjects, where applicable. The board did not disclose how many candidates currently meet those thresholds.
JAMB's position signals that the board intends to maintain a firm boundary between publishing results for transparency and granting access to tertiary institutions for candidates who have not yet reached the minimum age requirement.
Parents and guardians of affected candidates are advised to review the published scores before drawing any conclusions about their children's admission prospects.
JAMB introduces facial verification for UTME candidates
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that JAMB announced plans to introduce Facial Biometric Verification for the UTME as part of reforms under new Registrar Professor Segun Aina.
The Board said it would partner with NIMC to match candidates' live facial images against their identity records during exams. JAMB disclosed that facial verification could replace fingerprint authentication and OTPs within the next two to three years.
Source: Legit.ng
