‘Undergraduates can register’ — JAMB clarifies UTME rule, says they must disclose matriculation status
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified that candidates currently enrolled in tertiary institutions are not barred from registering for the 2026 unified tertiary matriculation examination (UTME) or direct entry (DE), provided they disclose their matriculation status during registration.
In a statement on Wednesday, Fabian Benjamin, public communication advisor (PCA) of JAMB, said the board’s attention had been drawn to a “misleading and unfortunate distortion” of its directives contained in the 2026 UTME/DE advertisement.
According to Fabian, some self-styled education advocates deliberately misrepresented the guidelines to suggest that students already in universities are prohibited from sitting the UTME.
“For the avoidance of doubt and for record purposes, it is not an offence for a candidate to register for the UTME/DE while still enrolled in an institution,” the statement reads.
“However, failure to disclose such status constitutes an offence.”
He explained that all candidates registering for the 2026 UTME/DE are required to declare their matriculation status, where applicable, in line with its statutory mandate to prevent multiple admissions.
The JAMB’s spokesperson noted that disclosure simply means that once a candidate secures a new admission through the latest registration, any previous admission automatically ceases to exist, stressing that Nigerian law does not permit candidates to hold two admissions concurrently.
He added that the directive has also become necessary following findings that some matriculated students are being used as professional examination takers.
“Mandatory disclosure therefore expedites appropriate action whenever such candidates are apprehended,” Fabian said.
While noting that the board’s system has the capacity to detect prior matriculation, Fabian warned that any candidate found to have failed to disclose their status risks forfeiting both the old and new admission opportunities.
He urged candidates, parents and guardians to rely on official guidelines and avoid what it described as distorted interpretations circulated for personal or social media gain.
Members of the public were also advised to read registration instructions carefully to avoid falling victim to misinformation, especially at the start of the UTME registration cycle
