By Jack Acheme, Abuja
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results of all underage candidates for viewing, cautioning that the release does not automatically qualify them for admission into tertiary institutions.
In a statement issued by the Acting Director, Public Affairs, Dr Fabian Benjamin, the board explained that an underage candidate is any applicant who will be below 16 years of age as of September 30, 2026.
JAMB said the results were released mainly to enable candidates, parents and guardians to know the candidates’ performance.
The board stressed that the scores could not be used for admission or any other official purpose except by candidates who satisfy the conditions for exceptional admission.
“To check results, underage candidates are required to send “RESULT” to 55019 or 66019 using the same telephone number with which they registered for the UTME.”
The Board said only candidates who demonstrate exceptional academic ability and maturity would be considered for admission, adding that the process involves several stages of assessment and verification.
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“Among the requirements is a minimum UTME score of 320 and at least 80 percent in the relevant Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination subjects, where applicable.
“Such candidates must also satisfy the Post-UTME requirements of their chosen institutions and undergo a final assessment by experts before they can be considered for admission.”
JAMB said the stringent process was designed to separate genuinely exceptional underage candidates from those who simply performed well in the UTME.
It stated that the admission process for exceptional underage candidates was still ongoing, noting that all stages of assessment and verification had not been completed.
According to the Board, candidates awaiting their National Examinations Council results must also be given an opportunity to present their results for verification before the final assessment can be concluded.
“It would be unreasonable to conclude the process without allowing candidates who are awaiting their National Examinations Council (NECO) results to present and have their results verified.”
JAMB said the NECO results were yet to be released and that it would wait for their publication before proceeding to the final stage of the assessment.
“As soon as the NECO results are released, the Board will fix and announce a date for the final stage of the assessment of the exceptionally performing underage candidates.”
The examination body warned parents, guardians and candidates against individuals who may attempt to exploit the process by promising to secure admission for underage candidates outside the approved procedure.
It also cautioned candidates who do not meet the requirements against presenting their viewed UTME results to institutions or individuals in an attempt to obtain admission.
JAMB stressed that participation in the UTME and the release of a candidate’s result did not guarantee admission, particularly for candidates who had not attained the prescribed admission age.
The Board assured the public that the exceptional admission exercise would remain transparent, rigorous and merit-based, in line with its commitment to protecting the integrity of the tertiary admission process.
