JAMB Begins Nationwide Accreditation of CBT Centres for 2026 UTME

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has commenced the nationwide accreditation of Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres in preparation for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The exercise, which began on Monday, December 15, 2025, will see 848 CBT centres across the country undergo rigorous assessment to determine their suitability for the conduct of the examination.

The development was disclosed in JAMB’s Weekly Bulletin, following a virtual meeting convened by the Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, with key stakeholders including Chief External Examiners (CEEs), Chief Technical Advisors (CTAs), Zonal Directors, State Coordinators, representatives of the Computer Professionals Association of Nigeria (CPAN), ZITOs, SITOs, PITOs, and other technical partners.

Addressing the accreditation teams, Professor Oloyede emphasized the importance of professionalism, diligence, and strict adherence to JAMB’s standards. He described the exercise as a national responsibility with long-term implications for the integrity of public examinations, warning against the approval of any centre that falls short of the Board’s requirements.

The Registrar also urged team members to remain security conscious throughout the exercise, advising against unnecessary risks and assuring them that adequate security arrangements had been put in place to ensure a safe and hitch-free process.

Providing technical clarification, JAMB’s IT Consultant, Mr. Damilola Bamiro, explained that only centres that successfully completed the mandatory automated system readiness test were eligible for physical inspection. He stressed that the accreditation would focus heavily on infrastructure compliance, particularly the installation and configuration of CCTV systems.

According to him, all CBT centres must deploy hard-wired HIKVision CCTV systems, operate on the recommended 16-channel configuration, and ensure that all network switches are connected to a functional Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS).

The accreditation exercise forms a critical part of JAMB’s preparations for the 2026 UTME, reinforcing its commitment to credible, secure, and technology-driven examination processes nationwide.