JAMB fixes crucial date for candidates who missed 2026 UTME

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has scheduled Saturday, June 13, 2026, for the conduct of the mop-up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for candidates who were unable to sit for the 2026 examination despite being successfully verified biometrically.

JAMB disclosed this in a statement issued by its Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, noting that the mop-up examination would accommodate candidates affected by technical glitches, examination infractions and biometric verification challenges recorded during the main exercise.

The Board explained that the 2026 UTME was conducted between April 16 and April 29, 2026, but some centres experienced operational and technical difficulties which prevented several candidates from taking the examination.

According to JAMB, the mop-up exercise represents the final phase of the 2026 UTME process and is aimed at resolving all outstanding cases involving candidates who duly presented themselves for the examination but encountered challenges beyond their control.

“The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has fixed Saturday, 13th June, 2026 for the conduct of the UTME mop-up examination for all candidates who presented themselves and were biometrically verified for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination but were unable to sit the examination for one reason or another,” the statement read.

The examination body disclosed that candidates whose results were withdrawn over examination infractions, as well as those who could not be verified biometrically during the main exercise, had also been scheduled for the mop-up examination.

JAMB urged affected candidates to begin printing their Examination Notification Slips from Saturday, June 6, 2026, in preparation for the exercise.

The Board advised candidates to familiarise themselves with their examination centres ahead of the examination date and make necessary logistical arrangements to avoid missing the final opportunity to participate in the 2026 UTME.

“Affected candidates are hereby urged to print their Examination Notification Slips, familiarise themselves with their examination centres, and make all necessary arrangements ahead of the examination date, as there will be no further opportunity for any candidate to sit the 2026 UTME after this mop-up exercise,” the Board stated.

JAMB reiterated its commitment to ensuring fairness, transparency and equal opportunity for all eligible candidates, while assuring that measures had been put in place to guarantee a smooth conduct of the mop-up examination nationwide.

The Board also urged candidates to comply strictly with examination guidelines and avoid any form of malpractice or misconduct during the exercise.