UTME: JAMB withholds scores of underage candidates

•Sets 320 cut-off for exceptional consideration

THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board,JAMB, has clarified the growing confusion surrounding candidates receiving “no result yet” notifications, revealing that results of underage candidates were being deliberately withheld in line with existing regulations.

JAMB’s spokesman, Fabian Benjamin, disclosed that the development followed a surge of inquiries from concerned parents, explaining that candidates below the approved age threshold would not have their results released for now, hence the system-generated response.

He reiterated that only candidates who would be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, were eligible to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations,UTME, stressing that any deviation fell strictly under the board’s exceptional candidate policy.

Under this provision, underage candidates must demonstrate extraordinary academic ability by scoring a minimum of 320 in the UTME and securing at least 80 per cent in subsequent screening processes to be considered for admission.

Benjamin further revealed that, based on prior agreements with parents, only candidates who met the 320 benchmark would be shortlisted and invited for further assessments, effectively narrowing the pathway for exceptional consideration.

He maintained that until this process was completed, results of underage candidates would remain unreleased, urging stakeholders to remain patient as the board enforced standards to preserve the integrity of the nation’s admission system.