The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has granted a final extension to November 30, 2026 for candidates with outstanding admission offers from the 2021 to 2025 admission exercises to either accept or reject the offers.
The Board said the extension became necessary following temporary unavailability of its Central Admissions Processing System, CAPS, for about 96 hours, which affected candidates expected to take action on their admission.
JAMB had earlier fixed September 30, 2026 as deadline for candidates offered admission between 2021 and 2025 to indicate acceptance or rejection. The new deadline, it said, provides affected candidates final opportunity to regularise their records.
CAPS is JAMB’s platform for automating and managing admissions into Nigerian tertiary institutions, enabling candidates to view offers and indicate acceptance or rejection, while maintaining a centralised national admissions database.
In a statement signed by Ag. Director, Public Affairs and Protocol Department, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the Board warned that November 30 deadline would be final for outstanding offers covering 2021-2025.
According to JAMB, candidates who fail to act by the deadline will no longer be allowed to do so within current window. Any subsequent request to update admission record relating to those years will attract applicable penalty fee, given that offers have remained outstanding for several years.
—Why candidates need to act—
JAMB said exercise is particularly important for candidates whose admissions are not properly reflected on matriculation list, as discrepancies can create difficulties in accessing benefits tied to properly documented admissions.
The Board’s matriculation analyses monitor candidates admitted through CAPS but not yet reflected on institutional matriculation lists, as well as candidates whose records are awaiting acceptance.
One consequence of unresolved record, according to JAMB, could be difficulty accessing services tied to recognised admission, including participation in National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, scheme.
Candidates who accept outstanding offers will subsequently be able to print their admission letters, while those who reject will have their CAPS dashboards reverted to “Not Admitted.” This, JAMB said, would enable Board to update records and ensure national admission database accurately reflects each candidate’s current status.
—What candidates with changed academic status should do—
JAMB also addressed candidates whose circumstances have changed.
Candidates who are no longer studying at institution where outstanding admission was offered, or who are now studying different programme, may accept outstanding admission and subsequently apply for appropriate correction or deletion where applicable.
Similarly, candidates currently pursuing second degree but still have unaccepted admission offer from earlier exercise may reject outstanding offer and continue with current programme.
Candidates who have secured admission in 2026 exercise but still have outstanding offer from earlier year may reject earlier offer without affecting 2026 admission, the Board said.
The Board explained extension was not only to compensate for period CAPS was unavailable, but also to provide final opportunity for candidates with unresolved offers to clearly indicate decisions.
At expiration of deadline, JAMB said all outstanding offers from affected years that have neither been accepted nor rejected will automatically revert to “Not Admitted” on its records.
It advised all affected candidates to log into their CAPS profiles and take necessary action immediately rather than waiting until deadline.
