The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the results of all underage candidates who participated in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
JAMB Spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin announced this in a statement on Saturday.
Benjamin noted that the results were only
for viewing, in line with its established policy on the participation of candidates below the prescribed admission age.
“For clarity, an underage candidate, for the purpose of the 2026 admission exercise, is any candidate who will be less than 16 years old as at 30 September 2026.
The Board, however, clarified that the release of the results for viewing does not confer eligibility for admission on all underage candidates, as admission into tertiary institutions remains subject to the conditions stipulated by the Board and other relevant regulatory requirements.
“To check the underage result, candidates are to sent RESULT to 55019 or 66019 to view the result using same SIM(phone) used in registering for the UTME.
The results have been made available primarily to enable the candidates and their parents or guardians to know how they performed in the examination. Such results cannot be used for admission or any other official purpose, except in respect of candidates who satisfy the stringent requirements prescribed for exceptionally performing underage candidates”, he said.
The Board had earlier established that only exceptionally performing underage candidates who satisfy the prescribed conditions would be considered for admission.
Consequently, candidates who do not meet the requirements for exceptional consideration should not present their viewed results to any institution or individual for the purpose of securing admission.
The Board reiterated that the exceptional admission process is deliberately rigorous and involves multiple stages of assessment to ensure that only candidates who demonstrate the required academic maturity and exceptional ability are considered.
Among the requirements for consideration is a minimum UTME score of 320, alongside a minimum of 80 per cent performance in the relevant Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) subjects, where applicable. Such candidates are also required to meet the relevant Post-UTME requirements of their chosen institutions and undergo the prescribed final assessment by experts.
The Board explained that the process is intended to distinguish genuinely exceptional underage candidates from those who may have merely performed well in the UTME.
Accordingly, the admission process for exceptionally performing underage candidates is ongoing, and the process has not yet been exhausted as all the necessary stages of assessment and verification have not been concluded.
The Board noted that 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. 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.
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.
JAMB stressed that the ongoing process is not merely a matter of UTME performance, but a comprehensive assessment designed to ensure that only candidates who genuinely satisfy all the prescribed requirements are considered for admission.
The Board therefore urged parents, guardians, candidates and members of the public to exercise caution and avoid patronising individuals who may claim to have the capacity to secure admission for underage candidates outside the prescribed process.
The Board reiterated that participation in the UTME and the release of a candidate’s result do not, in themselves, guarantee admission, particularly for candidates who have not attained the prescribed admission age.
JAMB assured the public that the process for exceptionally performing underage candidates would remain transparent, rigorous and merit-based, in keeping with its commitment to protecting the integrity of the admission process and ensuring that only candidates who satisfy the established requirements are admitted.
