JAMB Releases 2026 UTME Results for Underage Candidates

JAMB Releases 2026 UTME Results for Underage Candidates

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has released the 2026 UTME results for underage candidates, allowing applicants below the stipulated admission age to access their scores after months of withholding pending the completion of the board’s evaluation process.

JAMB defines an underage candidate for the 2026 admission cycle as one who will be below 16 years old by September 30, 2026. The board had earlier stated that results for such candidates would remain withheld while their eligibility for exceptional admission was assessed. 

How to check the 2026 UTME result

Underage candidates can check their results through the SMS channel using the phone number registered for their UTME.

Candidates should:

Use the same phone number used during UTME registration.

Type RESULT in an SMS.

Send the message to 55019 or 66019.

Wait for the result to be returned by SMS.

The procedure was reported by PUNCH in an agency report following JAMB’s release of the results. 

JAMB’s official guidance confirms that the 55019 and 66019 numbers are used for candidate-related SMS services. 

Result does not guarantee admission

The release of the result does not automatically mean that an underage candidate is eligible for admission.

JAMB’s policy provides an exceptional route for exceptionally gifted candidates below the minimum age. Earlier in the year, the board said candidates in this category would have to meet stringent academic requirements before they could be considered for admission. 

The requirements include a minimum UTME score of 320 and at least 80 per cent in subsequent screening stages. JAMB had also said that only candidates meeting the required benchmark would proceed to the next stage of assessment. 

The board’s position is consistent with its general 2026 admission rule that candidates should be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, unless they qualify under the exceptional candidates provision. 

Why the results were initially withheld

In April, JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin explained that underage candidates checking their results were seeing “No Result Yet” because their results had not been released at the time.

The clarification followed enquiries from parents and candidates concerned about the status of their scores. JAMB said the message was not necessarily a technical problem but was linked to its process for handling underage candidates. 

JAMB had announced before the examination that results for underage candidates would only be released after the relevant evaluation process was concluded.

The latest release therefore provides underage candidates with access to their scores, but those seeking admission must still satisfy the conditions attached to the exceptional admission category.

Candidates are advised to rely on JAMB’s official channels and avoid individuals or institutions promising admission outside the approved process.

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