The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has released the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results of candidates considered to be underage.

JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, announced this in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja.

Benjamin said while candidates can now view their scores, the release does not automatically qualify them for admission. Only underage candidates who meet the Board’s criteria for “exceptional consideration” will be eligible.

For the 2026 admission cycle, JAMB defined an underage candidate as anyone who will be less than 16 years old as of September 30, 2026.

The Board explained that the results were made public mainly so candidates and their parents or guardians can assess performance. The scores, it stressed, cannot be used for admission or any other official purpose except by those who qualify under the exceptional category.

To check results, candidates are to send “RESULT” to 55019 or 66019 using the phone number used for UTME registration.

Benjamin noted that JAMB had earlier set strict conditions for admitting underage candidates. He urged those who do not meet the requirements not to present their results to schools or individuals for admission.

According to him, the exceptional admission route is multi-stage and designed to test both academic ability and maturity. The key benchmarks include a minimum UTME score of 320 and at least 80 per cent in relevant subjects in the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination, where applicable.

Candidates must also meet their chosen institution’s Post-UTME requirements and pass a final assessment conducted by experts, he added.

“The process is to separate truly exceptional underage candidates from those who simply scored high in UTME,” Benjamin said.

He said the process is still ongoing because verification has not been completed. JAMB is waiting for the release of the National Examinations Council results so candidates who sat NECO can submit them for verification.

“The NECO results are yet to be released, and the Board would therefore await their release before proceeding to the final stage of the assessment process,” he stated.

Once NECO results are out, JAMB said it will announce the date for the final assessment of qualified underage candidates.

The Board also cautioned parents and the public against fraudsters who claim they can secure admission for underage candidates outside JAMB’s process.

JAMB reaffirmed that sitting for UTME and getting a result does not guarantee admission, especially for candidates below the approved age, and pledged that the exceptional admission process will remain transparent and merit-based.