"Following the successful conduct of the 2026 UTME mop-up examination on June 13, JAMB marks the official end of the UTME cycle, transitioning into the critical admission processing phase for Nigerian tertiary institutions."
Overview of the Mop-Up Exercise
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) successfully concluded its 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) mop-up exercise on Saturday, June 13, 2026. This critical intervention was designed specifically for candidates who were unable to participate in the main UTME, which ran from April 23 to April 29, 2026, due to unforeseen technical challenges, biometric verification failures, and other logistical disruptions at designated Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres.
JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, reaffirmed that this exercise served as the final opportunity for candidates to secure a score for the 2026/2027 admission cycle. With the examination now concluded, the Board has transitioned its focus toward the comprehensive processing of results and the commencement of the post-UTME screening window.
Official Directive to Candidates
Registrar of JAMB, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, emphasized the finality of the exercise, stating: “Affected candidates were given a fair opportunity to resolve outstanding issues that prevented their initial participation. With the completion of this mop-up, there will be no further opportunity for any candidate to sit the 2026 UTME. We advise all participants to remain vigilant regarding their result status via the official JAMB portal.”
Critical Implications for Admissions
The completion of the mop-up examination marks a significant milestone in the Nigerian academic calendar. As of June 15, 2026, the focus shifts to:
1. Result Finalization: All mop-up results are being processed to be uploaded to the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
2. Post-UTME Screenings: Universities, Polytechnics, and Colleges of Education are now authorized to accelerate their institutional screening procedures.
3. CAPS Integration: Institutional admissions are now fully underway, requiring candidates to monitor their admission status strictly through the official jamb.gov.ng portal.
What Applicants Must Know
Candidates must be wary of third-party platforms claiming to offer ‘result upgrades’ or ‘special access’ to admission lists. The Board maintains that official communication is only transmitted through its verified X (Twitter) handle and official website. All candidates are encouraged to regularly check their email addresses and their JAMB profile dashboards for the latest updates regarding their admission status and departmental cut-off marks.
