The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has explained the meanings of admission status messages displayed on its Central Admission Processing System (CAPS), helping candidates understand their admission progress.
The board made the clarification in an informative video released on Thursday, while higher institutions’ admission process progresses.
JAMB stressed that candidates should not interpret their current CAPS status as a final decision, noting that the information could change as institutions continue processing admissions.
The clarification is set to ease concerns among candidates who have encountered messages such as “Not Admitted” and “Admission in Progress” while checking their admission status.
According to the board, the “Not Admitted” message means an admission offer had not been approved for the candidate at the time of checking. It stressed that the status should not be regarded as a permanent rejection, as it may be changed when further admission decisions are made.
Similarly, “Admission in Progress” indicates that the admission process is still ongoing, and candidates are advised to remain patient while awaiting further updates. The board further added that, ‘Admission in Progress’ may indicate that the candidate has been recommended for admission by the institution but the required approvals have not yet been completed. Thus such recommendations, JAMB noted, may still require approval by the institution’s head or a final decision from the board after the institution has endorsed the candidate.
However, JAMB warned that a candidate should not regard “Admission in Progress” as confirmation of admission. The recommendation could still be rejected if the candidate does not meet the applicable admission requirements.
Candidates Urged to Monitor CAPS
JAMB urged candidates to regularly monitor their admission status through the official CAPS platform and avoid relying on unverified information circulating on social media.
An admission becomes official when JAMB approves the offer and the candidate’s CAPS status changes to “Admitted.” The candidate can then accept or reject the offer through the platform and receive the relevant official notification.
The board encouraged prospective students to keep checking their CAPS profiles throughout the admission exercise, as statuses can change at different stages before the process is concluded.
JAMB also advised candidates to rely on information released through its recognised communication channels and disregard unverified claims about their admission status.
The board’s clarification comes amid growing anticipation among prospective students awaiting admission decisions for the 2026/2027 academic session.
Candidates seeking admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education have been encouraged to remain attentive to updates from JAMB and their chosen institutions. The board also advised candidates to follow official procedures regarding admission offers and avoid individuals who demand money in exchange for securing admission.
JAMB’s latest explainer reinforces the need for candidates to understand that admission processing is a continuing exercise, and a current status may not represent the final outcome. Candidates are therefore advised to exercise patience and continue checking their CAPS profiles for changes as the admission process progresses.
