The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results of candidates below the minimum admission age, but warned that obtaining a result does not automatically qualify them for admission.
The results were released to enable the candidates, their parents and guardians to know their performance in the examination, according to JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja.
JAMB defines an underage candidate for the 2026 admission cycle as anyone who will not have reached 16 years of age by September 30, 2026.
The Board stressed that the release of the UTME scores should not be interpreted as an admission approval. The results cannot be used for admission or other official purposes except where a candidate qualifies for exceptional consideration under JAMB’s prescribed process.
Under the exceptional consideration route, candidates must first record at least 320 in the UTME.
They must also obtain a minimum of 80 per cent in relevant Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination subjects, where applicable, meet the Post-UTME requirements of their chosen institutions and subsequently pass a final assessment conducted by experts appointed by JAMB.
The Board said the multiple requirements were designed to ensure that exceptional admission consideration was reserved for candidates who demonstrate not only high UTME scores but also academic ability and maturity.
Underage candidates can access their UTME results by sending “RESULT” to 55019 or 66019 from the same telephone number used to register for the examination.
JAMB, however, said the process for determining candidates eligible for exceptional consideration had not been concluded.
Benjamin explained that the Board was awaiting the release of the 2026 National Examinations Council (NECO) results, which some candidates are yet to present for verification.
“The NECO results are yet to be released, and the Board would therefore await their release before proceeding to the final stage of the assessment process,” he said.
JAMB said the date for the final assessment would be announced after the NECO results are released.
The Board also warned parents, guardians and candidates against individuals who claim to have special channels for securing admission for underage candidates.
It advised candidates who do not meet the stipulated requirements not to submit their UTME results to institutions or individuals in an attempt to obtain admission.
JAMB said the prescribed procedure would be strictly followed and warned against attempts to circumvent the process through unofficial channels.
