Prospective candidates for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have been given a strict 17 day notice to finalise their registration, as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has ruled out any possibility of extending the deadline beyond Thursday, 26th February 2026.

The examination body issued the warning in its weekly bulletin on Monday, stressing its unwavering stance that the registration window would not be shifted "under any circumstances."

Expressing dissatisfaction with the poor turnout recorded at accredited registration centres nationwide, JAMB urged candidates to act promptly rather than adopt the habitual practice of procrastinating until the final days before clamouring for extensions.

According to the Board, it has identified a deliberate pattern amongst candidates who intentionally delay registration and later petition for deadline extensions, a practice that will no longer be tolerated in 2026.

"This recurring pattern, where candidates deliberately wait until the last minute and subsequently agitate for an extension, will not be entertained," JAMB declared.

The Board further accused individuals presenting themselves as tutorial centre operators and examination cheats of intentionally advising candidates to postpone registration. JAMB stated that such misleading counsel is strategically designed to force an extension, thereby allowing candidates to register en masse at centres, a development that creates opportunities for examination malpractice.

"JAMB is fully aware of these deliberate tactics and has factored them into its planning. There will be no extension of the registration period," the examination authority affirmed, emphasising that the notice was issued to safeguard genuine candidates from deceptive information.

JAMB noted that registration opened on Monday, 26th January 2026, for a five week period that remains firmly in place.

The Board revealed that whilst approximately one million candidates have already indicated interest in the examination and numerous others have acquired their ePINs, many are yet to complete the registration process.

JAMB explained that any extension would prove operationally unfeasible, given that its examination calendar is closely integrated with those of other national examination bodies.

"Any extension would disrupt this coordinated schedule and encroach on timelines already allocated to other national examinations," the Board noted.

Candidates have been strongly advised to register immediately, shun last minute delays, and ignore unfounded claims about potential deadline extensions.