The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that the registration deadline for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will not be extended, warning prospective candidates to enroll by February 26 or risk missing the exam.

In a definite notice issued on Tuesday, the Board stated that the sale of e-PINs, which are required for registration, will end at 12:00 midnight on Thursday, February 26, 2026.

Registration at accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres for candidates who have already purchased their e-PINs will close two days later, on Saturday, February 28, 2026.

As of February 17, JAMB reported that more than 1.5 million candidates had successfully registered nationwide.

Despite this impressive figure, the Board revealed that registration centres across the country are only operating at 30% of their daily capacity, raising concerns that many eligible candidates have yet to take advantage of the ongoing exercise.

JAMB stated that it has the capacity to register 100,000 candidates per day, which is significantly higher than the current turnout at centres across the nation.

According to JAMB, its examination schedule is part of a nationally coordinated calendar approved by all examination bodies in Nigeria.

The UTME registration window was carefully planned to ensure a smooth transition to the upcoming public examinations.

“Consequently, there is no available window for any extension, even if the Board were inclined to consider one,” it said.

The examination body warned that candidates who wait until the last minute may face avoidable difficulties and emphasized that it would not entertain appeals after the deadline.

JAMB described the early warning as a proactive measure to ensure that no serious candidates are excluded from the examination process due to procrastination.

With only a few days until the vending deadline, the Board urged all prospective candidates to get their e-PINs right away and go to accredited centers to complete their registration.

“All prospective candidates are encouraged to act immediately,” the statement concluded.