ABUJA, Nigeria — The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the results of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) mop-up exercise and announced the commencement of its candidate ranking process for admission into tertiary institutions across the country.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, who confirmed that candidates who participated in the mop-up examination can now access their results through the board’s official result-checking platforms.
According to JAMB, the release of the mop-up results marks the completion of all examination processes for the 2026 UTME cycle. The board stated that it will immediately proceed with the ranking of candidates, a key step in determining admission placement into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
Benjamin explained that the ranking exercise will help institutions and the board streamline the admission process by organizing candidates based on their performance, course choices, and institutional requirements. He added that the printing of result slips required for admission processing is expected to begin before the end of the week.
The mop-up examination was conducted on Saturday, June 13, 2026, as a final opportunity for candidates who were unable to sit for the main UTME due to technical issues, biometric verification challenges, or other disruptions experienced at various examination centres.
The main 2026 UTME was held between April 16 and April 25, with millions of candidates participating nationwide. JAMB said the mop-up exercise was designed to ensure that no eligible candidate was left behind in the admission process due to unforeseen examination disruptions.
The board expressed appreciation to candidates, parents, and other stakeholders for their patience and cooperation throughout the examination period. It also reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining fairness, transparency, and credibility in the admission process.
With the release of the mop-up results, attention has now shifted to the next phase of the admission cycle, where institutions are expected to begin screening and selecting candidates based on established cut-off marks and admission guidelines.
Education analysts note that the ranking phase is critical in ensuring merit-based placement, especially as competition for limited spaces in popular courses and institutions continues to increase annually.
JAMB also reiterated that candidates are advised to regularly check official communication channels for updates on admission timelines, portal activities, and further instructions regarding the 2026 admission exercise.
The board said the completion of the mop-up exercise effectively concludes the UTME testing phase for the year, paving the way for full-scale admission processing across Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
