The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the release of results for 632,788 candidates who sat for the first day of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), marking the beginning of a phased rollout as the nationwide examination continues.

In a statement issued by the Board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, candidates who participated in the Thursday session can now access their scores via SMS. To check results, candidates are required to send “UTMERESULT” to either 55019 or 66019 using the phone number linked to their registration.

JAMB clarified that, for now, only result viewing is available. The option to print official result slips will be activated at a later stage, once processing advances further.

More results to follow as marking continues

The examination body noted that the UTME exercise is still ongoing across various centres nationwide. As a result, additional batches of results will be released progressively in line with the completion of marking and verification processes.

This staggered release, according to the Board, is part of its standard procedure to ensure accuracy and integrity in the handling of candidates’ performance data.

Crackdown on result manipulation

JAMB also used the announcement to issue a strong warning against any attempts to manipulate or falsify examination results. The Board expressed concern over reports of candidates altering SMS notifications to misrepresent their scores to parents, guardians, or other parties.

Describing such actions as a serious criminal offence, the Board revealed that enforcement measures are already underway. It disclosed that two candidates and one parent are currently in custody for allegedly engaging in result falsification using artificial intelligence tools and other electronic methods.

The Board emphasized that offenders will face legal consequences, reiterating its zero-tolerance stance on examination malpractice.

Call for integrity in the admissions process

As the UTME exercise progresses, JAMB urged candidates to rely solely on official communication channels and uphold honesty throughout the admissions process. The Board reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a credible, transparent, and merit-based system for tertiary institution admissions in Nigeria.

With more results expected in the coming days, candidates are advised to remain patient and vigilant, ensuring they follow approved procedures when accessing their scores.