JAMB 2026: Results, CAPS Admission & Cut-Off Marks

Where JAMB 2026 stands now (20 October 2026): the UTME is finished and results are out. Admissions are running on CAPS, which came back online on 28 September after a week-long outage. Public universities must finish admitting by 31 October 2026, so if your school has recommended you, check CAPS daily and accept within four weeks of the offer. Private universities have until 30 November; polytechnics and colleges until 31 December. JAMB opens every office to walk-in candidates on Wednesday 21 October (details below).

This page tracks JAMB 2026 end to end: checking your result, printing your slip, accepting admission on CAPS, cut-off marks, fees, and the recommended novel.

Check: New list of Jamb 2026 Registration Centers

Also see: JAMB Reprint — print your UTME exam slip (date, time & centre)

Did you read: Why You’ll Probably Fail JAMB 2026 article?

Latest JAMB News (updated 20 October 2026)

Wed 21 October: walk-in day at every JAMB office. JAMB staff will attend to candidates in person from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at all state offices and selected outstations. No appointment, no fee. Go with your registration number, NIN slip and a screenshot or printout of the problem (CAPS status, missing result, name mismatch). Announced on JAMB’s X handle on 19 October as part of Customer Service Week.
16 October: NIN alignment service reopened. If your name, date of birth, gender or state of origin on JAMB does not match your NIN, fix the NIN first at NIMC (selfservicemodification.nimc.gov.ng or a NIMC centre), then apply on efacility.jamb.gov.ng with your birth certificate, affidavit, LGA certificate and NIN slip. It is a one-time application and approval is not automatic. On 19 October the Registrar said JAMB and NIMC have also agreed a route for graduates whose name mismatch has kept them out of NYSC.
15 October: only JAMB issues admission letters. Registrar Prof. Segun Aina warned universities to stop issuing their own admission letters. A letter from a school is not an admission. Only an offer you see and accept on CAPS counts, and the official letter is printed from efacility.jamb.gov.ng for ₦1,000 (see how to print your JAMB admission letter).
5 October: UTME centre in Canada from 2027. JAMB will open a CBT centre in Ottawa so Nigerians in North America can sit the UTME without flying home.
28 September: CAPS restored. The admission portal was down for about a week and JAMB kept the 31 October, 30 November and 31 December deadlines. Awaiting-result candidates: NECO 2026 results came out on 24 September. Upload them to your JAMB profile now or your school cannot process you.

Not announced yet: 2027 UTME registration dates. Any blog giving you a date is guessing. See JAMB 2027 below.

How to Check JAMB 2026 Results

JAMB 2026 UTME results have been released. There are two ways to check your score:

Method 1: Via SMS

Open your messaging app on the phone number you registered with
Type UTMERESULT (no spaces)
Send to 55019 or 66019
Ensure you have at least ₦50 airtime (₦50 will be deducted)
Your score will arrive via SMS within minutes

Method 2: Via JAMB Portal

Visit efacility.jamb.gov.ng/CheckUTMEResults
Enter your JAMB registration number or linked email address
Click “Check My Results”
Your UTME score and subject breakdown will be displayed

Note: Use only the official portal or SMS shortcode — avoid third-party result checkers.

How to Print Your 2026 UTME Original Result Slip

Your original result slip shows your photo, score, subject breakdown, and national ranking. Most institutions ask for it during admission screening.

Steps to print the slip

Go to the JAMB slip printing portal at slipsprinting.jamb.gov.ng
Click “Print 2026 UTME Original Result Slip”
Enter your JAMB registration number or the email address you registered with
Confirm the details, then print a copy and save a PDF as backup

Accept or Reject Your Admission on CAPS

Every offer must pass through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS). An offer made outside CAPS is not a valid admission, and JAMB has warned candidates not to accept one.

How to accept an offer

Log in at efacility.jamb.gov.ng with your JAMB profile details
Open Check Admission Status and select the 2026 exam year
If an offer shows, click Accept (or Reject if you are holding out for another school)
Print your JAMB admission letter once the acceptance is recorded

You can also accept by SMS: send ACCEPT to 55019 from your registered number.

Four-week rule: if you do not accept within four weeks, the offer is withdrawn and the slot goes to another candidate. Candidates who ignore an offer can be logged as “refusal to accept”, which can count against them in later admission cycles.

What each CAPS status means

Recommended — your school has put you forward; JAMB is reviewing
Admission in Progress — sent to JAMB for final approval
Admission Offered — accept it within four weeks
Not Admitted — no offer yet. It is not a rejection. Most schools release lists in batches, so keep checking

Awaiting Result candidates: upload your O’Level results to your JAMB profile, or your file will not be processed. WAEC and NECO 2026 results are both out (NECO since 24 September), so there is nothing left to wait for. More detail in the CAPS FAQ.

Key 2026 JAMB Dates

E-PIN Sales Begin	Monday, January 19, 2026
UTME Registration	January 26 – February 28, 2026
Mock UTME (Optional)	Saturday, March 28, 2026
Main UTME Exam	April 16 – 25, 2026
Mop-Up UTME (final sitting)	Saturday, June 13, 2026
Direct Entry Registration	March 2 – April 25, 2026
Public universities: admissions close	Saturday, October 31, 2026
Private universities: admissions close	Monday, November 30, 2026
Polytechnics, colleges: admissions close	Thursday, December 31, 2026

2026 JAMB Cut-Off Marks

Set at the JAMB policy meeting on 11 May 2026:

Universities: 150
Colleges of Nursing: 150
Polytechnics and monotechnics: 100
Colleges of Education: no UTME required from the 2026/2027 session — candidates for NCE and education courses are exempt

Note: these are national minimums. Schools set their own, higher departmental cut-offs — UI, UNILAG and UNN usually want 200-280 for Medicine, Law and Engineering. No school may admit below the national benchmark. See the cut-off marks for 293 institutions.

JAMB 2027: What Is Known So Far

JAMB has not announced 2027 UTME registration dates. The Board publishes them on jamb.gov.ng and its X handle, and this page will carry them the day it does. For reference, 2026 e-PIN sales opened on 19 January and registration ran from 26 January to 28 February.

Mobile pre-registration: in August the Registrar said a phone-based pre-registration will cut sign-up from about 20 minutes to 2–3 minutes. Not live yet.
Canada centre: a UTME centre opens in Ottawa for the 2027 exam.
Fix your NIN now: registration is NIN-based and a name or date-of-birth mismatch costs weeks. Check your record at selfservicemodification.nimc.gov.ng before January.
Start practising: Awajis JAMB CBT uses past questions in the real exam format.

2026 JAMB Registration Requirements

Registration for 2026 closed on 28 February 2026. Keep these ready for 2027:

NIN (Mandatory): You must have your National Identification Number before registration. Send “NIN 00123456789” to 55019 or 66019 from your registered phone number.

Documents Needed:

Valid NIN
O’Level results – minimum 5 credits including English (or “Awaiting Result”)
JAMB Profile – create at portal.jamb.gov.ng

Important: Register only at JAMB-approved centers. Multiple registrations not allowed.

2026 JAMB Registration Fees

UTME with Mock: ₦8,700
UTME without Mock: ₦7,200
Direct Entry: ₦5,700
Foreign candidates: $30

Fee breakdown: Application ₦3,500 + Reading Text ₦1,000 + CBT Centre Registration ₦700 + CBT Centre Service ₦1,500 + Bank Charges ₦500 + Mock ₦1,500 (if applicable).

Age Requirement & Underage Waiver

Candidates must be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026 to be considered for admission.

Underage Waiver: Candidates below 16 can still register but must score 80% or higher in each of: UTME, Post-UTME, SSCE, and the exceptional candidate assessment. Results for underage candidates are released only after completing this evaluation.

JAMB Novel for 2026: The Lekki Headmaster

The recommended text for 2026 UTME is “The Lekki Headmaster” by Kabir Alabi Garba (replaces The Life Changer). The 64-page novel follows headmaster Bepo Adewale of Stardom Schools and covers education, leadership, integrity, corruption and the “Japa” migration trend. Expect about 10 questions from it in Use of English.

JAMB Syllabus

Access the JAMB syllabus via the IBASS portal or scan the QR code on your registration slip. You can also view all subjects at this link.

How to Pass JAMB

Review past questions, start early, dedicate long hours to studying, use the JAMB syllabus, and read the recommended text.

More JAMB Guides

Step-by-step help for registration, study, and result-checking:

Helpful JAMB & Reference Pages

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2026 JAMB News Updates