The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has begun inviting underage candidates who scored 320 and above in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to proceed to the next stage of assessment at their chosen institutions.
JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, confirmed the development in a statement on Sunday, responding to public inquiries.
“The Board has sent messages to underage candidates who scored 320 and above. They will be invited to the next level of assessment by their institution of choice,” he said.
In a message seen by our correspondent and verified by Benjamin, one such candidate was informed that their details had been forwarded to their preferred institution for admission processing. The message read: “JAMB hereby notifies you that you have crossed the 80% threshold in the UTME, which is one of the four categories for consideration. As a result, your details have been forwarded to your institution of choice, which will contact you for screening and return the result to the Board. Kindly ensure that you upload your O-level results to the JAMB portal.”
The move implements JAMB’s exceptional candidate policy for highly gifted underage applicants who fall below the minimum admission age of 16. The Board had previously withheld the results of such candidates, who received “No Result Yet” notifications.
Last week, Benjamin clarified that only candidates who will be at least 16 years old by 30 September 2026 are eligible to sit for the UTME, with exceptions strictly governed by the special candidate policy. Under these provisions, underage candidates must demonstrate exceptional academic ability by scoring a minimum of 320 in the UTME and securing at least 80% in subsequent screenings to be considered for admission.
He added that, consistent with prior agreements with parents, only those who meet the 320 benchmark will be shortlisted for further assessments. Until the screening process is concluded, their results will remain unreleased. Benjamin urged stakeholders to be patient, emphasising that the Board is enforcing standards to preserve the integrity of the nation’s admission system.
The policy, endorsed by the Federal Ministry of Education, aims to ensure students possess the necessary maturity to cope with the rigours of tertiary education.