How Many Candidates Wrote JAMB 2026? Full UTME Registration & State-by-State Breakdown

How Many Candidates Registered for JAMB 2026?

2,243,816 candidates registered for the 2026 UTME, according to figures released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) ahead of the examination — a slight increase on the previous year's registration numbers.

The main exam ran from Thursday, 16 April to Wednesday, 22 April 2026, held across 966 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide. JAMB had earlier delisted 23 centres following poor performance during the Mock-UTME.

JAMB 2026 State-by-State Registration Breakdown

Here's how registration broke down across all 36 states and the FCT:

Lagos, Kaduna, and FCT account for the three highest registration numbers — together close to 928,000 candidates, well over a third of the national figure between just three states. Zamfara recorded the lowest registration at 14,841.

*JAMB also recorded registrations from candidates residing outside Nigeria, though state-level figures above cover domestic registration only.*

How Many Candidates Actually Sat the Exam?

Registration and actual turnout are not the same thing. The clearest reference point is JAMB's own Mock UTME, held on 28 March 2026 as an optional practice run:

• 224,597 candidates registered for the mock exam
• 152,586 candidates actually sat it — a turnout rate of roughly 68%, meaning close to a third of registered mock candidates did not show up

For the main UTME itself, JAMB has not published a single consolidated "total sat" figure separate from registration. Results were released in batches as the exam progressed across its multi-day window:

By the time results were rolling out in batches, roughly 1.9 million of the 2.24 million registered candidates had results available — a strong indication that turnout for the main exam was considerably higher than the mock's 68%, since the mock is optional practice and the main UTME is what actually counts.

Why the Mock Exam No-Show Rate Matters

The roughly 32% no-show rate on the Mock UTME is useful context but should not be read as representative of the main exam. The mock is explicitly optional and does not count toward admission — JAMB itself has stated its purpose is purely to familiarise candidates with the CBT environment. A meaningful share of registered candidates skip it once they feel prepared, which is very different from skipping the actual UTME.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many candidates registered for the 2026 UTME? 2,243,816 candidates registered nationwide for the 2026 UTME, according to JAMB's pre-exam figures.

Which state had the most JAMB 2026 registrations? Lagos State recorded the highest number of registered candidates at 321,814, followed closely by Kaduna State (303,498) and the FCT (302,963).

Which state had the fewest JAMB 2026 registrations? Zamfara State recorded the lowest registration figure among the 36 states, at 14,841.

How many people actually sat the 2026 UTME? JAMB has not released a single "total sat" figure separate from registration. Based on results released in batches through the exam window, close to 1.9 million of the 2.24 million registered candidates had results available shortly after the exam concluded.

How many candidates sat the JAMB 2026 Mock exam? 152,586 candidates sat the Mock UTME out of 224,597 who registered — a turnout rate of about 68%. The mock exam is optional and does not count toward the main UTME.

When did the 2026 UTME take place? The main exam ran from Thursday, 16 April to Wednesday, 22 April 2026, across 966 CBT centres nationwide.

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