The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified that candidates already enrolled in tertiary institutions may register for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) or Direct Entry (DE), provided they formally declare their matriculation status or risk losing both admissions.
The clarification was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, who said the directive had been misrepresented by what he described as “self-styled education advocates,” thereby causing confusion among candidates and parents.
According to Benjamin, the misinformation stemmed from a distortion of JAMB’s clearly stated guidelines in the 2026 UTME/DE advertisement.
“This deliberate misrepresentation is being propagated by some unscrupulous self-styled education advocates for parochial interests,” he said, adding that such misinterpretations often surface at the beginning of every registration cycle.
He accused some commentators of failing to properly read or understand the guidelines before spreading false narratives aimed at generating social media traffic.
Benjamin stressed that registering for UTME or DE while already enrolled in another institution is not prohibited under JAMB regulations. However, he noted that failure to disclose an existing matriculation status constitutes an offence.
“For the avoidance of doubt, 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 explained that disclosure means any previous admission automatically lapses once a candidate secures a new one, noting that the law does not permit a candidate to hold two admissions concurrently.
According to Benjamin, the policy has become more critical following the discovery that some already-matriculated students have been involved in examination malpractice as hired test-takers.
“Mandatory disclosure expedites appropriate action whenever such candidates are apprehended,” he said.
While noting that JAMB’s systems can detect prior matriculation records, Benjamin warned that candidates who fail to make the required disclosure risk forfeiting both their existing admission and any new one obtained through the examination process.
He urged the public to rely on official JAMB guidelines and avoid misleading interpretations from unverified sources.
JAMB also reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of its examinations.
The board recalled that registration for the 2026 UTME commenced on January 26, adding that only Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres with facilities for remote monitoring would be accredited.
It said the policy, tagged “No Vision, No Registration, No UTME,” is aimed at curbing registration irregularities and strengthening confidence in the examination process.
