The 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has begun nationwide, with over 2.2 million candidates expected to participate across accredited centres.
Organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the examination will run from April 16 to April 22, with multiple sessions scheduled each day.
JAMB Registrar, Is-haq Oloyede, urged officials to maintain high standards of professionalism, noting that the success of the exercise depends largely on their conduct.
He gave the directive during a virtual briefing for technical officers ahead of the examination, while also acknowledging the efforts of staff and partners involved in the mock exercise.
Oloyede pointed out that most issues recorded during the mock test were due to inadequate assessment of examination centres and assured that top-performing teams would be rewarded.
He also reaffirmed the board’s strict stance against examination malpractice, warning candidates against bringing banned items into the halls.
Advanced measures, including biometric verification and real-time monitoring, have been deployed to ensure transparency, while candidates with verification issues will be rescheduled.
At one centre monitored in Jahi, Abuja, the first session slated for 8:30 a.m. began about 10 minutes later.
