Trending 
The 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) began nationwide on Thursday, April 16, with more than 2.2 million candidates expected to sit for the examination across accredited centres.
Organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the examination will run from Thursday, April 16, to April 22, in multiple daily sessions.
The Registrar of JAMB, Is-haq Oloyede, called on examination officials to exhibit maximum commitment and professionalism, as the success of the UTME largely depends on their performance and dedication to duty.
Oloyede gave the charge during a virtual final briefing for technical officers ahead of the examination. Also, he praised staff, ad hoc personnel, service providers and technical advisers for their contributions to the successful conduct of the mock examination.
The JAMB boss went further to highlight the challenges recorded during the mock exercise, which were linked to inadequate assessment of centres by some technical officials. He added that incentive packages would be provided to teams that display exceptional performance, handle examination materials promptly and submit reports on time.
Oloyede noted JAMB’s zero-tolerance policy for examination malpractices and warned candidates against bringing prohibited items into examination halls.
According to him, advanced technology, including biometric verification and real-time monitoring systems, has been implemented to safeguard the examination’s credibility.
The registrar stated that candidates whose biometric details could not be verified would be rescheduled to write the examination at centres approved by the board.
About 966 CBT centres are participating in the 2026 UTME, and each must meet operational standards, including having functional computers, a stable internet connection, and trained staff.
