JAMB: Undergraduates can take UTME but must declare status

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has stated that candidates who are already enrolled in tertiary institutions may register for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry, but must formally declare their matriculation status, otherwise, they risk losing both admissions.

The clarification was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Board’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, who said the directive had been misrepresented by individuals he described as “self-styled education advocates,” leading to confusion among candidates and parents.

“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.

“This deliberate misrepresentation is being propagated by some unscrupulous self-styled education advocates for parochial interests,” Benjamin said. Punch