Photo Credit: The Sun Nigeria / JAMB
JAMB Releases UTME Results of Underage Candidates, Sets Strict Admission Conditions

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the results of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for underage candidates.

The Board confirmed that the results are now available for checking.

Disclosing this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, clarified that the release of the results does not automatically qualify all underage candidates for admission.

According to him, an underage candidate is anyone who will be less than 16 years old as of September 30, 2026.

Benjamin explained that the results were released mainly to allow candidates and their parents/guardians to assess their performance, and not for admission purposes, except for those who meet JAMB’s exceptional criteria.

He advised candidates to check their results by sending “RESULT” to 55019 or 66019 using the same phone number used for registration.

The JAMB spokesperson reiterated that only exceptionally brilliant underage candidates who satisfy all prescribed conditions will be considered for admission. Candidates who do not meet the conditions have been warned not to take their results to any institution for admission.

He outlined the conditions for exceptional consideration to include:
• A minimum UTME score of 320 • At least 80% performance in relevant Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) subjects • Meeting the Post-UTME requirements of their chosen institutions • Passing a final assessment by a panel of experts
Benjamin noted that the screening process is deliberately rigorous and multi-staged to separate truly gifted candidates from those who only performed well in UTME.

He added that the admission process for the exceptional category is still ongoing, as the Board is awaiting the release of the National Examinations Council (NECO) results to conclude verification. A date for the final stage of assessment will be announced after NECO releases its results.

He cautioned parents and the public to beware of fraudsters promising admission for underage candidates outside the official process, stressing that sitting for UTME does not guarantee admission for those below the approved age.

JAMB assured that the entire process will be transparent, rigorous, and strictly merit-based, in line with its commitment to uphold the integrity of the admission system.
Source: The Sun Nigeria