JAMB 2026 UTME: say Underage Candidates Dem Must Pass Special Screening Before Admission.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) don put di 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results of underage candidates for special assessment process.
Dis na according to JAMB policy wey concern exceptional admission for candidates wey never reach di normal admission age, but wey show say dem get very strong academic ability.
For di 2026 admission process, JAMB say candidate for normally don reach 16 years by September 30, 2026 before e fit qualify for admission into higher institutions.
But candidates wey never reach 16 years fit still get chance if dem show exceptional academic performance and meet all di conditions wey JAMB don set.
At first, JAMB no release di results of di underage candidates. When some of di candidates try check their results, di system show “No Result Yet.”
JAMB explain say dis message no mean say na technical problem. Instead, e mean say di Board still dey assess di candidates because dem never meet di required age for normal admission.
Under di exceptional candidate arrangement, an underage candidate must show very strong performance. JAMB don set 320 marks out of 400 for UTME as di minimum score wey an underage candidate must get before e fit move to di next stage of di process.
Candidates wey reach di 320-mark requirement go then face additional screening. Dis one fit include assessment from di university or higher institution wey di candidate choose.
JAMB guidelines also show say exceptional candidates must perform well across different stages of di admission process. Candidates are expected to score at least 80 per cent for relevant assessments, including UTME, Post UTME, Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and di exceptional candidate assessment.
JAMB later start contacting underage candidates wey pass di required UTME mark and move their details to di institutions wey dem choose for further screening.
Di Board also instruct candidates wey qualify to upload their O’level results and contact their chosen institutions so dem fit know di next step for di screening process.
JAMB don make am clear say getting 320 for UTME no automatically mean admission. Instead, na only di first condition for underage candidates wey want benefit from di exceptional admission arrangement.
Candidates still need pass di other screening stages before any institution fit consider dem for admission.
Di policy dey try balance two things: enforcing di minimum admission age and still giving genuinely exceptional young candidates opportunity to enter higher education.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, don previously explain say di process na to identify young candidates wey truly show exceptional ability, while also making sure say dem ready for di academic and social demands wey come with university education.
So, parents and candidates need understand say meeting di UTME score requirement no be guarantee for admission. Di candidate must still satisfy di other conditions before e fit finally qualify under di exceptional admission category.
Di process also show JAMB effort to make sure say underage admission no become automatic, but remain something wey only candidates with exceptional academic ability fit benefit from.