Scoring 80% Won’t Automatically Get Under-16 Students Into University, JAMB Warns Parents and Applicants

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has issued a clear warning to parents and candidates, clarifying that hitting the high 80 percent performance benchmark does not automatically guarantee admission for underage applicants into Nigerian tertiary institutions.

Under guidelines established by the Federal Ministry of Education, any candidate who has not turned 16 by September 30 of the admission year is classified as underage. While these younger students are permitted to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, the board emphasized that they are generally excluded from university consideration unless they qualify under the special “exceptional candidate” status.

To even be considered under this exception, an underage applicant must achieve a minimum score of 80 percent across all three selection stages: the main UTME, the post-UTME screening, and O-Level results.

However, the exam body stressed that reaching this 80 percent threshold only makes an underage candidate eligible for consideration, not an automatic entry. Individual universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education maintain full authority over their final admission lists, meaning institutions can still decline admission based on their internal quotas and departmental rules. JAMB advised parents to familiarize themselves with official guidelines rather than assuming a high exam score overrides age requirements.