The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has reaffirmed that the registration for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination will close on Thursday, February 26, 2026, with no plans to extend the deadline.
The examination body cautioned candidates against delaying their registration, stressing that the five-week registration window would remain unchanged.
In a statement contained in its weekly bulletin released on Monday, JAMB expressed concern over the low turnout of candidates at several accredited registration centres across the country, despite the process being well underway.
According to the Board, the long-standing habit of waiting until the final days to register and subsequently demanding an extension would not be entertained this year.
“This recurring pattern, where candidates deliberately wait until the last minute and later agitate for an extension, will not be tolerated,” the Board said.
JAMB also alleged that some examination cheats and individuals posing as tutorial centre operators were deliberately misleading candidates to delay registration.
It explained that such actions are often aimed at forcing an extension of the registration period, allowing large numbers of candidates to converge at specific centres — a situation the Board said encourages examination malpractice.
“We are fully aware of these deliberate tactics and have taken them into account in our planning. There will be no extension of the registration period,” JAMB stated.
The Board noted that the warning was issued to protect genuine candidates from being deceived by false information.
JAMB recalled that the registration exercise commenced on January 26, 2026, and was clearly scheduled to run for five weeks.
It disclosed that about one million candidates had already indicated interest in sitting for the examination, while many others had obtained their ePINs and were expected to complete their registration promptly.
The examination body further explained that extending the registration period would be impracticable, as its operational calendar aligns closely with those of other national examination bodies.
“Any extension would disrupt this coordinated schedule and interfere with timelines already allocated to other examinations,” the Board said.
JAMB therefore advised prospective candidates to register early, avoid last-minute rushes, and disregard claims suggesting that the registration deadline would be shifted.
