The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has explained why thousands of candidates checking their 2026 UTME results see "No Result Yet" instead of their scores. The board said on Tuesday that it has not released results for candidates who were underage at the time they sat the exam. When these candidates try to check their performance, the system returns the "No Result Yet" message, JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin said in a statement.
JAMB set 16 years as the minimum age for UTME participation, with the cutoff date of September 30, 2026. This means any candidate who would not reach 16 by that date was technically ineligible to take the exam. The board did leave room for exceptions. It said academically outstanding candidates below the age threshold could be considered for participation, though the statement did not specify how this process would work or when results for these exceptional cases would be released.
The age restriction policy has caught many candidates and their families off guard. Some students who sat the exam expecting their results to be processed like everyone else are now discovering their scores are being withheld because of their date of birth. Parents have raised concerns on social media about why the age rule was not strictly enforced before the exam, rather than after results were ready to be released.
JAMB did not say how many candidates fall into the underage category or when their results would be made available. The board also did not clarify whether underage candidates would eventually receive their results or whether they would have to wait until they reached the required age before their scores could be released. The statement suggests the policy is meant to ensure that only candidates of sufficient maturity and development sit for tertiary entrance exams, though education experts have questioned whether age alone is a reliable measure of academic readiness.
The board is expected to provide further guidance on the timeline for releasing underage candidates' results and what options are available to those affected by the withheld scores.
