The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified that candidates already enrolled in tertiary institutions are eligible to register for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE).
However, such candidates must disclose their matriculation status, with the Board warning that failure to do so could lead to forfeiture of both admissions.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, JAMB dismissed misleading claims circulating online. He said: “The attention of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has been drawn to a misleading and unfortunate distortion of a portion of the Board’s clear directives to candidates registering for the 2026 UTME/DE… This deliberate misrepresentation is being propagated by some unscrupulous self-styled education advocates for parochial interests.”
Benjamin noted that such individuals often emerge during registration cycles, spreading false narratives: “Many of them do not take the time to read or properly understand the guidelines, yet hastily rush to the public space with false narratives aimed solely at attracting traffic to their social media platforms.”
He stressed that registering while enrolled in another institution is not an offence, but failing to disclose that status is: “For the avoidance of doubt… the Board directed that all candidates registering for the 2026 UTME/DE must disclose their matriculation status, where applicable.”
Explaining further, Benjamin said disclosure ensures compliance with the law: “It is not an offence for a candidate to register for the UTME/DE while still enrolled in an institution. However, failure to disclose such status constitutes an offence. Disclosure simply means that once a candidate secures admission through the latest registration, the former admission automatically ceases to subsist. The law is explicit that no candidate is permitted to hold two admissions concurrently.”
He also revealed that some matriculated students have been caught acting as “professional examination takers,” stressing that mandatory disclosure helps JAMB take swift action when such cases arise.
Benjamin warned that although JAMB’s system can detect prior matriculation, candidates who fail to disclose risk losing both admissions: “The Board therefore urges the public to be cautious of these so-called education advocates… Members of the public are advised to carefully read official guidelines and avoid accepting distorted interpretations wholesale.”
JAMB reiterated its commitment to maintaining examination integrity, noting that registration for the 2026 UTME officially began on January 26.
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