By Jumoke Olaitan
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results of underage candidates for viewing.
This is contained in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin.
Benjamin, however, said that the release of the results did not confer eligibility for admission on all underage candidates, as only those who met its stringent requirements for exceptional consideration would be admitted.
He said an underage candidate for the 2026 admission exercise was any candidate who would be less than 16 years old as at Sept. 30, 2026.
He said the results were released primarily to enable candidates and their parents or guardians to know their performance in the examination.
According to him, such results cannot be used for admission or any other official purpose, except in respect of candidates who satisfy the requirements prescribed for exceptionally performing underage candidates.
He said candidates could check their results by sending “RESULT” to 55019 or 66019 using the same SIM card with which they registered for the UTME.
Benjamin said the Board had earlier established that only exceptionally performing underage candidates who satisfied the prescribed conditions would be considered for admission.
He, therefore, advised candidates who did not meet the requirements for exceptional consideration not to present their results to any institution or individual for the purpose of securing admission.
The spokesperson said the exceptional admission process was deliberately rigorous and involved multiple stages of assessment to ensure that only candidates who demonstrated the required academic maturity and exceptional ability were considered.
He said one of the requirements for consideration was a minimum UTME score of 320, alongside a minimum of 80 per cent performance in 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”.
Benjamin explained that the process was designed to distinguish genuinely exceptional underage candidates from those who might have merely performed well in the UTME.
He said the admission process for exceptionally performing underage candidates was still ongoing, adding that all necessary stages of assessment and verification had not been concluded.
According to him, it will be unreasonable to conclude the process without allowing candidates awaiting their National Examinations Council (NECO) results to present them 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 as soon as the NECO results were released, the Board would fix and announce a date for the final stage of the assessment of the exceptionally performing underage candidates.
He stressed that the ongoing process was not merely based on UTME performance but involved a comprehensive assessment to ensure that only candidates who genuinely satisfied all the prescribed requirements were considered for admission.
The spokesperson urged parents, guardians, candidates and members of the public to exercise caution and avoid patronising individuals who claimed to have the capacity to secure admission for underage candidates outside the prescribed process.
He reiterated that participation in the UTME and the release of a candidate’s result did not, in themselves, guarantee admission, particularly for candidates who had not attained the prescribed admission age.
Benjamin assured the public that the process for exceptionally performing underage candidates would remain transparent, rigorous and merit-based.
He reiterated the Board’s commitment in protecting the integrity of the admission process and ensuring that only candidates who satisfied the established requirements were admitted.
