UTME 2026: JAMB to sanction CBT centres not visible on its monitoring system

JAMB has warned that accredited CBT centres not visible on its central monitoring system risk strict sanctions, such as invalidation of registration, non-payment for services, and accreditation forfeiture.

According to the board’s weekly bulletin, over 150 centres were not visible from its control room during the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) 2026 registration process. 

The board added that it considered cancelling registrations made by these CBT centres owing to the concerns. However, it chose to introduce additional scrutiny using more coordinated remote monitoring tools.

JAMB noted that affected centres were subsequently called to a meeting and given an ultimatum to resolve their technical issues. It stressed that payment will only be made after compliance is confirmed.

The matriculation board has also implemented some reforms, such as computer-based testing, monitoring, and centralised oversight systems, to curb malpractice and improve efficiency.

Also Read: UTME 2026: JAMB increases CBT centres by 20%, now 1,000 nationwide.

JAMB: emphasis on surveillance facilities 

In preparation for the UTME 2026, JAMB has now directed all 989 accredited centres to ensure their surveillance cameras are fully accessible and viewable in real time from JAMB’s control room at its headquarters. 

The move is part of efforts to curb malpractice and strengthen compliance. It’s also an ongoing process to eradicate suspicious centres, often referred to as “miracle centres”.

JAMB said all CBT centres must ensure that their surveillance systems, such as CCTV cameras and other facilities, are fully accessible in real-time from JAMB’s control room at its headquarters.

In addition, the board also noted that centres that become invisible or unviewable during the examination from the monitoring desk would face sanctions such as immediate delisting or not being paid for their services. 

“Any of the 989 accredited centres where registration or examination activities cannot be monitored in real time may have such activities declared invalid,” it said. 

The board said the directive was in line with the importance of real-time monitoring, which allows the board to detect irregularities during registration and examinations and make prompt modifications and corrective implementations.

In addition, JAMB noted that several centres have already been delisted based on observations from the central monitoring system.

The 2026 UTME is scheduled to be held from Thursday, April 16, to Saturday, April 25, 2026. The optional Mock-UTME is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, 2026. A total of 2,243,816 candidates successfully registered for the examination.