The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a stern and non-negotiable warning to all prospective candidates for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry. The board has explicitly prohibited any changes to biodata after the completion of registration, marking a significant shift in policy to combat fraud and ensure data integrity.
Strict Registration Guidelines and Key Dates
JAMB has officially announced that the registration window for both the UTME and Direct Entry will open on Monday, January 26, 2026. The exercise will conclude on Saturday, February 28, 2026. The board has reiterated its minimum age requirement of 16 years, with only strict waiver conditions available for underage applicants.
In a statement released on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, and signed by the Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, JAMB outlined the rigid framework for the upcoming exercise. All registration timelines, e-PIN categories, applicable fees, and examination dates have been clearly defined for prospective candidates.
The Absolute Ban on Biodata Alterations
The core of JAMB's latest directive is a firm stance against any modification of personal information post-registration. Professor Oloyede declared that once a candidate completes their 2026 registration using biodata supplied by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), no subsequent changes will be permitted for that year's admission cycle.
"Once a candidate completes 2026 registration with biodata supplied by NIMC, subsequent changes of biodata would not be effected by JAMB for the 2026 admission. No Change Will Be Tolerated," the Registrar stated emphatically.
The only exception to this rule is if the NIMC itself updates a candidate's data. In such rare cases, the candidate must initiate a specific "RE-QUERY" process using a designated template (TEMPL 007) during the 2026 registration period to retrieve and update the corrected information from NIMC's database.
Candidates Bear Full Responsibility for Data Security
JAMB placed a heavy onus on candidates to safeguard their personal login credentials and security codes. The board warned that sharing passwords, profile codes, or other security details with any third party—including parents, friends, tutorial centre operators, or fraudsters—makes the candidate fully liable for any unauthorized alterations made to their profile.
This warning is part of a broader effort to eliminate malpractice and ensure that each candidate's identity is verifiable and secure throughout the admission process. The board also reminded candidates to use the provided QR Code to access vital resources such as the syllabus, brochure, and approved subject combinations for their chosen courses.
This latest development follows JAMB's ongoing crackdown on irregularities in the admission system. The board has recently instructed universities to reverse any admissions granted to lower-ranked candidates in violation of the established merit, catchment area, and educationally less developed states framework.
Prospective candidates for the 2026 UTME and Direct Entry are therefore advised to exercise extreme caution during registration, double-check all personal information before final submission, and maintain absolute secrecy of their security details to avoid disqualification or admission complications.
