The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has clarified that candidates who are already enrolled in tertiary institutions are permitted to register for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry, but must formally declare their matriculation status or risk losing both their current and any new admission, a move the board said became necessary following widespread confusion caused by misinterpretations of its earlier directives.
The clarification was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, who said the board’s attention had been drawn to what he described as a “misleading and unfortunate distortion” of part of its registration guidelines by individuals he referred to as “self-styled education advocates.”
“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, as contained in the 2026 UTME/DE advertisement,” Benjamin said in the statement.
He added, “This deliberate misrepresentation is being propagated by some unscrupulous self-styled education advocates for parochial interests,” stressing that such actions had led to unnecessary panic among candidates and parents seeking to understand the rules guiding the examination process.
Benjamin noted that such confusion often emerges at the beginning of every registration cycle, accusing some commentators of speaking publicly without properly reading or understanding the official guidelines released by the board.
“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 said.
Clarifying the core issue, Benjamin explained that it is not against JAMB regulations for a candidate to register for the UTME or Direct Entry while still enrolled in another institution, but failing to disclose that status is regarded as an offence under the board’s rules aimed at preventing multiple matriculations.
“For the avoidance of doubt and for record purposes, and in line with its statutory mandate to prevent multiple matriculations, the board directed that all candidates registering for the 2026 UTME/DE must disclose their matriculation status, where applicable,” he said.
He further stated, “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 a status constitutes an offence.”
Benjamin explained that disclosure serves a practical legal purpose, noting that once a candidate secures a new admission through the latest registration, the former admission automatically ceases to subsist in line with existing laws.
“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 added.
The JAMB spokesperson linked the policy to recent discoveries by the board, revealing that some already-matriculated students had been caught engaging in examination malpractice by serving as hired test takers for other candidates.
“Mandatory disclosure, therefore, expedites appropriate action whenever such candidates are apprehended,” Benjamin said, suggesting that transparency during registration would help the board respond swiftly to misconduct.
While noting that JAMB’s systems are technologically equipped to detect previous matriculation records, he warned that candidates who deliberately fail to disclose their status may face severe consequences, including the forfeiture of both their existing admission and any new one gained through the examination.
He urged members of the public to be cautious of misleading commentaries and to rely strictly on official information released by the board, warning that distorted interpretations could negatively affect candidates’ academic futures.
“The board, therefore, urges the public to be cautious of these so-called education advocates who are perpetually eager to mislead candidates and parents for selfish gain. Members of the public are advised to carefully read official guidelines and avoid accepting distorted interpretations wholesale,” he said.
Benjamin reiterated JAMB’s commitment to safeguarding the integrity of its examinations and ensuring that its processes remain transparent, credible, and resistant to abuse by individuals seeking to exploit loopholes.
The board also reminded candidates that registration for the 2026 UTME began on January 26 and announced that only Computer-Based Test centres with facilities that allow remote monitoring would be permitted to participate in the exercise.
JAMB described the policy, tagged “No Vision, No Registration, No UTME,” as part of its broader efforts to reduce registration irregularities, enhance monitoring, and strengthen public confidence in the examination process while ensuring strict adherence to its rules regarding admissions and matriculation.