Candidates seeing a "No Result Yet" message when checking their 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination scores may be underage, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has clarified, confirming that results for that category have been deliberately withheld pending a screening exercise.

Spokesperson Fabian Benjamin disclosed in a statement on Tuesday that the status does not indicate a technical fault, adding that the board had received several inquiries from parents confused by the message.

"Please be informed that results for underage candidates have not been released. When such candidates attempt to check their results, the system will return the message 'No Result Yet'," the statement read.

Benjamin noted that JAMB regulations require candidates to be at least 16 years old by 30 September 2026 to be eligible to register for and sit the examination. However, he confirmed that an exceptional category exists for underage candidates who demonstrate outstanding academic ability.

"Underage candidates may be considered under the exceptional category, provided they demonstrate outstanding ability by scoring 320 and above in the UTME and attaining at least 80% in subsequent screening stages," the statement noted.

The board added that only candidates who meet the 320 score benchmark will be shortlisted and invited to proceed to further stages of the screening process, in line with an agreement previously reached and endorsed by the parents of the affected candidates.

Results for those who do not meet the threshold will remain withheld, with no pathway to admission under the exceptional provision.

Tuesday's clarification came as JAMB continued its batch result releases for the ongoing 2026 UTME. The board released results for the examination conducted on 20 April. Before that, 1,264,940 results from the Friday and Saturday sittings were published on Sunday, following an earlier release of 632,752 results from the Thursday examination, bringing the cumulative total before Monday to 1,897,692.

The board has faced criticism in recent days over delayed result releases and its refusal to refund candidates who incurred SMS charges while checking results that had not yet been officially published.