From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified its policy on the admission of underage candidates into Nigerian tertiary institutions, saying candidates below 16 years can take the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) but must meet stringent conditions before they can be considered for admission.
In a”JAMB Explained,” post on its verified X account, the Examination body clarified tha a candidate is regarded as underage if he or she is below 16 years on or before September 30 of the year of admission.
The board explained that the September 30 cut-off was not independently introduced by JAMB but was instituted by the Federal Ministry of Education as part of the policy governing admission into tertiary institutions.
JAMB noted that being below the prescribed age does not prevent a candidate from registering for or sitting the UTME. However, such candidates are classified as underage and are generally not considered for admission unless they fall within the category of exceptional candidates and satisfy the additional conditions prescribed by the authorities.
JAMB said underage candidates seeking exceptional consideration must attain a minimum score of 80 per cent in three key areas — UTME, post-UTME and O-Level screening.
“An underage candidate must score 80 percent in UTME, post-UTME and O-level screening to be eligible for admission,” the board stated.
The requirement means that sitting the UTME at a younger age does not, in itself, create an automatic pathway to university or other tertiary institution admission.
Candidates must demonstrate exceptional academic performance across the prescribed assessment stages before they can be considered.
The clarification is particularly relevant to parents and candidates who may assume that obtaining a high UTME score is sufficient to secure admission despite falling below the stipulated age.
JAMB, however, stressed that even candidates who satisfy the additional requirements are not guaranteed admission.
The board further emphasised that admission remains dependent on the institution selected by the candidate and its decision to consider the candidate under the applicable rules.
“Please note that your admission is solely dependent on the choice of your institution,” JAMB said.
JAMB urged candidates and their parents to pay attention to the established admission requirements and understand that institutions retain discretion over admission within the framework of existing regulations.
