Underage candidates who scored 320 and above in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) are now being contacted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), with their details forwarded to their chosen institutions for the next stage of assessment.
JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin confirmed the development on Sunday, noting that the board had begun sending messages to qualifying candidates.
“The Board has sent messages to underage candidates who scored 320 and above. They will be invited to the next level of assessment by their institution of choice,” Benjamin stated.
A message sent to one of the qualifying candidates and confirmed by Benjamin read: “JAMB hereby notifies you that you have crossed the 80% threshold in the UTME, which is one of the four categories for consideration. As a result, your details have been forwarded to your institution of choice, which will contact you for screening and return the result to the Board. You can contact your chosen institution regarding this. Kindly ensure that you upload your O’level results to the JAMB portal.”
The board had previously withheld results for underage applicants, leaving affected candidates with “No Result Yet” notifications on their portals.
Benjamin clarified in a statement last week that only candidates who will be at least 16 years old by 30 September 2026 are ordinarily eligible to sit the UTME. Any exception is handled under the board’s exceptional candidate policy, which requires a minimum score of 320 in the UTME and a performance of at least 80% in subsequent screening exercises.
He added that, based on prior agreements with parents, only candidates meeting the 320 mark benchmark would be shortlisted for further assessment, narrowing the pathway considerably.
Results of underage candidates will remain unreleased until the screening process is concluded. The policy, endorsed by the Federal Ministry of Education, is designed to ensure students possess the maturity required for tertiary education.
Last Updated on April 28, 2026 by Ola Funmilayo
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