The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified that candidates who are already enrolled in tertiary institutions are not barred from registering for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) or Direct Entry (DE).

In a statement issued by the Office of the Registrar on January 28, 2026, JAMB said recent claims suggesting that students cannot be in a university and still write UTME are misleading and a distortion of the Board’s directives for the 2026 admission exercise.

The Board explained that while it is permissible for a candidate to register for UTME/DE while still enrolled in an institution, such candidates are mandated to disclose their matriculation status during registration.

According to JAMB, failure to make this disclosure constitutes an offence, noting that Nigerian law does not permit a candidate to hold two admissions concurrently.

“The law is explicit that no candidate is permitted to hold two admissions at the same time,” the Board stated.

JAMB explained that once a candidate secures a new admission through UTME or Direct Entry, the previous admission automatically ceases to subsist.
The Board added that the disclosure requirement is necessary to prevent multiple matriculations and to enable prompt action when such cases are identified.

JAMB further disclosed that findings indicate that some matriculated students are engaging as professional examination candidates, a development it said informed the need for stricter enforcement of disclosure rules.

While noting that its system has the capacity to detect prior matriculation, JAMB warned that candidates who fail to disclose their status risk forfeiting both admission opportunities.

The Board advised candidates and parents to rely on official guidelines and disregard misinformation from what it described as “self-styled education advocates” who propagate false narratives for personal interests.