UTME registration to begin January 26th – JAMB

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that registration for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will run from January 26 to February 28 at all approved Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide.

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, made the disclosure on Saturday in Lagos during a meeting with Commissioners for Education ahead of the 2025 UTME and Direct Entry exercises. He explained that the sale of UTME application documents, known as ePINs, will begin earlier than the registration period.

“The sale of UTME application documents, which is the ePIN, will start from January 19 to February 26, ahead of the actual registration period,” Oloyede said. “Actual UTME registration will take place between January 26 and February 28 at all approved CBT centres.”

He added that the mock examination selection will close on February 16, while the sale of Direct Entry application documents and ePIN vending will run from March 2 to April 25.

Unlike last year, the registrar noted, UTME results for underage candidates will only be released after completing the full evaluation process to ensure proper assessment for those seeking age waivers.

Oloyede also revealed that all CBT centres participating in the UTME registration will be monitored live from JAMB headquarters. He warned that any centre whose activities cannot be observed centrally will not receive payment, and registrations conducted there may be invalidated.

A total of 924 centres have been provisionally listed after screening, with a final test required before full accreditation to participate in the UTME registration and examination.

The registrar emphasised that candidates are not required to pay any service charges to CBT centres, noting that only fees approved by JAMB are mandatory.

Addressing concerns over distant postings, Oloyede clarified that candidates will only be posted to towns selected during registration. He urged candidates to register early, warning that late registration could limit their chances of securing preferred towns. “The choice of a group of towns implies that candidates can be posted to any of the towns in the selected group,” he said.

The registrar also reminded candidates to declare their previous registrations and admission history with JAMB, citing cases of examination malpractice during last year’s UTME. He warned that running more than one undergraduate programme concurrently is a criminal offence.

Regarding age requirements, Oloyede stated that candidates must be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, to apply for UTME. However, underage candidates will undergo an intensive evaluation to determine eligibility for a waiver. “Underage candidates who will be less than 16 years old by September 30, 2026, must score at least 80 per cent in UTME/A’LEVEL, PUTME, SSCE, and the exceptional candidate assessment to be considered,” he said.