More than 2.2 million candidates began sitting the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) nationwide on Thursday, across accredited centres.

The examination, organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), is scheduled to run from April 16 to April 22, with multiple sessions held daily.

The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, urged examination officials to demonstrate maximum commitment and professionalism, stressing that the success of the UTME largely depends on their performance and dedication to duty.

Oloyede issued the charge during a virtual final briefing for technical officers ahead of the examination.

He commended staff, ad hoc personnel, service providers, and technical advisers for their contributions to the successful conduct of the mock examination.

According to him, most of the challenges recorded during the mock exercise were linked to inadequate assessment of centres by some technical officials.

Oloyede added that incentive packages would be provided for teams that demonstrate exceptional performance, including the prompt handling of examination materials and the timely submission of reports.

He reiterated JAMB’s zero-tolerance policy on examination malpractice and warned candidates against bringing prohibited items into examination halls.

According to him, advanced technology, including biometric verification and real-time monitoring systems, has been deployed to safeguard the credibility of the examination.

The registrar also disclosed that candidates whose biometric details could not be verified would be rescheduled to sit the examination at designated centres approved by the board.

The  UTME remains one of the country’s largest coordinated educational exercises, involving extensive logistics, technology deployment, and personnel coordination nationwide.

Each examination day is divided into four sessions to reduce congestion at Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres and enhance biometric verification processes.

For the 2026 UTME, about 966 CBT centres are participating, each required to meet operational standards, including functional computer systems, stable connectivity, and trained personnel.