By Abuja-based Joseph Erunke
The 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) registration period will end on Thursday, February 26, 2026, exactly 17 days from now, and there is no chance of an extension, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has warned.
The Board stressed that it would not change the deadline “under any circumstances,” therefore it urged potential candidates to finish their registration as soon as possible.
Despite the fact that registration is well underway, JAMB voiced concern in its weekly bulletin published on Monday on the poor candidate attendance at numerous certified registration centers across the country.
The Board states that in 2026, it will not accept the custom of applicants postponing registration until the last few days and then requesting an extension.
Candidates who purposefully wait until the last minute and then push for an extension will not be allowed to continue this practice, according to JAMB.
Exam cheaters and people impersonating tutorial center operators were also charged by the test organization with purposefully deceiving applicants in order to delay registration.
It clarified that such counsel frequently aims to compel an extension of the registration period, allowing candidates to migrate in large numbers to centers—a setup that encourages exam fraud.
“JAMB has taken into account these intentional strategies in its planning and is fully aware of them. The Board stated that the letter was sent to prevent legitimate and law-abiding candidates from being duped and that there would be no extension of the registration time.
The 2026 UTME registration period, according to JAMB, began on Monday, January 26, 2026, and was explicitly planned to run for five weeks. The organization stated that this timeline has not changed.
About a million candidates have already expressed interest in the test, according to the Board, and many more have already obtained their ePINs and are anticipated to finish their registration as soon as possible.
It went on to say that because its operating calendar closely resembles those of other examination bodies, it would be impossible to extend the registration period.
According to JAMB, “any extension would interfere with this well-organized schedule and infringe upon timelines already allotted to other national examinations.”
As a result, the Board recommended that applicants register in advance, stay away from last-minute crowds, and disregard any indications that the registration deadline might be extended.
