JAMB Explains What 2026 UTME Result Means for Underage Candidates

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has released the 2026 UTME results of underage candidates while clarifying the conditions they must satisfy before they can be considered for admission.

JAMB announced the release on Saturday through its Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin.

The board said the results were released mainly to allow candidates and their parents or guardians to know how they performed in the examination.

But JAMB stressed that the release does not make all underage candidates eligible for admission.

For the 2026 admission exercise, candidates who will be below 16 years old on September 30 are regarded as underage.

JAMB said such candidates can only be considered under the exceptional candidate category if they satisfy the prescribed requirements.

The requirements include a minimum UTME score of 320.

Candidates must also attain at least 80 per cent in relevant Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination subjects, where applicable.

They must meet the Post-UTME requirements of their chosen institutions and undergo a final assessment by experts.

The board said the exceptional admission process was deliberately designed to involve several stages of assessment.

It said this was necessary to distinguish candidates with genuinely exceptional academic ability from those who merely performed well in the UTME.

The process is still ongoing, JAMB said.

Benjamin explained that some candidates are waiting for their NECO results and should be allowed to present them before the final assessment is completed.

The board will announce a date for the final assessment once the NECO results are released.

JAMB also issued a warning to parents and candidates against admission brokers and individuals claiming they can secure admission outside the official procedure.

Candidates who do not meet the exceptional requirements have been advised not to present their UTME results to institutions or individuals for the purpose of obtaining admission.

The board said doing so could create false expectations because a released result does not amount to an admission offer.

JAMB reiterated that the admission process for underage candidates must satisfy all prescribed conditions.

Candidates can check their results by sending “RESULT” to 55019 or 66019 using the same SIM card used during registration.

The board assured the public that the exceptional candidate process would remain transparent, rigorous and merit-based.

The latest development gives underage candidates access to their examination performance while maintaining strict safeguards around admission into tertiary institutions.