Ify Okoli
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has
released the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results of
underage candidates, allowing them and their parents or guardians to check
their performance.
JAMB, however, warned that having a result does not automatically qualify an underage
candidate for university admission, as only those who meet its strict
conditions for exceptional consideration can proceed.
The Board’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian
Benjamin, announced the release in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja.
He explained that candidates considered underage for the
2026 admission exercise are those who will be below 16 years old by September
30, 2026.
According to Benjamin, the decision to release the results
at this stage is mainly to allow candidates and their families to know how they
performed in the examination.
But the results, he stressed, cannot ordinarily be used for
admission or any other official purpose unless the candidate qualifies under
JAMB’s exceptional admission process.
Under the procedure, exceptionally performing underage
candidates must first meet a number of demanding academic requirements before
they can be considered for admission.
One of the key conditions is a minimum UTME score of 320.
Candidates must also record at least 80 per cent in relevant Senior Secondary
School Certificate Examination subjects, where applicable.
Even after meeting those thresholds, candidates still have
further hurdles to cross. They must satisfy the Post-UTME requirements of their
chosen institutions and undergo a final assessment conducted by designated
experts.
Benjamin said the multi-stage process was designed to
separate genuinely exceptional young candidates from those who simply achieved
a strong UTME score.
He said the assessment and verification process was still
under way, meaning no final admission decision had yet been reached for
candidates seeking exceptional consideration.
JAMB is also waiting for the release of National
Examinations Council (NECO) results before completing the process, as
candidates who sat for the examination need to present their results 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,” Benjamin said.
He added that once the NECO results became available, JAMB
would announce a date for the final assessment of candidates who had performed
exceptionally well.
The Board said the exercise would therefore go beyond UTME
scores, with candidates assessed comprehensively to determine whether they had
genuinely met all the conditions for exceptional admission.
Benjamin also warned parents, guardians and candidates
against individuals claiming they could secure admission for underage students
outside JAMB’s official process.
He said such claims should be treated with caution,
stressing that neither sitting the UTME nor receiving a result guaranteed
admission, particularly for candidates who had not reached the required age.
JAMB said the process would remain transparent, rigorous and
based on merit, with the final decision resting on whether each candidate
satisfies every prescribed condition.
For now, underage candidates can check their UTME results by
sending “RESULT” to 55019 or 66019,
using the same SIM card used during registration.
The message from JAMB is clear: a result may show how well a young candidate performed, but only a
completed and verified process can open the door to admission.
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