The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has cautioned candidates and the general public against what it described as a deliberate distortion of its registration guidelines for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE).
In a statement by its spokesman ,Dr Fabian Benjamin issued on
Tuesday, the Board said its attention had been drawn to misleading interpretations of portions of the 2026 UTME/DE advertisement being circulated by some self styled education advocates for what it termed parochial interests.
According to JAMB, the individuals involved routinely emerge at the start of every registration cycle and often fail to properly read or understand official guidelines before spreading false narratives aimed at attracting attention on social media platforms.
“For the avoidance of doubt and in line with its statutory mandate to prevent multiple matriculations, the Board directed that all candidates registering for the 2026 UTME/DE must disclose their matriculation status, where applicable,” the statement said.
JAMB clarified that it is not an offence for a candidate to register for the UTME or Direct Entry while still enrolled in an institution. However, it stressed that failure to disclose such status constitutes an offence.
The Board explained that disclosure simply means that once a candidate secures admission through the latest registration, any previous admission automatically ceases, noting that the law does not permit candidates to hold two admissions concurrently.
The examination body further disclosed that recent findings revealed that many matriculated students were being engaged as professional examination takers, adding that mandatory disclosure helps in taking appropriate action when such candidates are apprehended.
Although JAMB noted that its system has the capacity to detect prior matriculation, it warned that any candidate found to have failed to disclose such information risks forfeiting both admission opportunities.
The Board therefore urged candidates, parents, and the general public to be wary of misinformation from unverified sources and advised them to rely solely on official guidelines and communications.