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 the temporary unavailability of its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) for approximately 96 hours, which affected candidates who were expected to take action on their outstanding admission offers.
JAMB had previously fixed September 30, 2026 as the deadline for candidates offered admission between 2021 and 2025 to indicate whether they wished to accept or reject their offers. The new deadline, the Board said, would provide affected candidates with a final opportunity to regularise their admission records.
CAPS is JAMB’s platform for automating and managing admissions into Nigerian tertiary institutions. The system enables candidates to view admission offers and indicate acceptance or rejection, while helping the Board maintain a centralised national admissions database.
In a statement signed by Fabian Benjamin, Ph.D., Ag. Director, Public Affairs and Protocol Department, the Board warned that the November 30 deadline would be final for outstanding offers covering the 2021–2025 admission exercises.
According to JAMB, candidates who fail to accept or reject their outstanding offers by the deadline will no longer be allowed to do so within the current window. Any subsequent request to update an admission record relating to those years will attract the applicable penalty fee, given that the offers have remained outstanding for several years.
The Board urged affected candidates not to wait until the deadline before taking action.
Why candidates need to act:
JAMB said the exercise is particularly important for candidates whose admissions are not properly reflected on the matriculation list, as discrepancies in admission records can create difficulties in accessing benefits associated with properly documented admissions.
The Board’s published matriculation analyses show that it monitors, among other categories, candidates admitted through CAPS but not yet reflected on institutional matriculation lists, as well as candidates whose admission records are awaiting acceptance.
One of the consequences of an unresolved admission record, according to JAMB, could be difficulty accessing services tied to recognised tertiary admission, including participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
Candidates who accept their outstanding offers will subsequently be able to print their admission letters, while those who reject the offers will have their CAPS dashboards reverted to “Not Admitted.” This, JAMB said, would enable the Board to update its records and ensure that the 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 since they received their earlier admission offers.
Candidates who are no longer studying at the institution where the outstanding admission was offered, or who are now studying a different programme from the one covered by the earlier offer, may accept the outstanding admission and subsequently apply for the appropriate correction or deletion of the previous admission, where applicable.
The process, according to the Board, is intended to enable JAMB to properly reconcile the candidate’s admission history with his or her current academic status.
Similarly, candidates who are currently pursuing a second degree but still have an unaccepted admission offer from an earlier admission exercise may reject the outstanding offer and continue with their current programme.
JAMB further reassured candidates who have secured admission in the 2026 admission exercise but still have an outstanding offer from an earlier year that they have no reason for concern.
Such candidates may reject the earlier outstanding admission offer without affecting their 2026 admission, the Board said.
The Board explained that the extension was not only to compensate candidates for the period during which CAPS was unavailable, but also to provide a final opportunity for candidates with unresolved admission offers to clearly indicate their decisions.
JAMB said the measure would also assist it in keeping the national admission database accurate, current and reliable.
The Board stressed that November 30, 2026, is the final deadline for candidates with outstanding admission offers from the 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 admission exercises to accept or reject those offers.
At the expiration of the deadline, JAMB said all outstanding offers from the affected admission years that have neither been accepted nor rejected will automatically revert to “Not Admitted” on its records.
JAMB therefore advised all affected candidates to log into their CAPS profiles and take the necessary action immediately rather than waiting until the deadline.
The Board’s CAPS platform is designed to give candidates information on their admission status and available choices while allowing institutions and JAMB to process and manage admissions through a centralised system.
The Board also reiterated the importance of accepting admission offers within the prescribed period, warning that failure to do so may render an offer invalid.