JAMB: Why scoring 80% may not secure admission for under-16 candidates

By Enitan Abdultawab

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified that underage candidates who achieve the required 80 per cent benchmark are only eligible for consideration and are not automatically guaranteed admission into tertiary institutions.

JAMB made the clarification in its “JAMB Explained” series on Thursday while addressing frequently asked questions about admission for candidates below the required age.

Under the current policy, candidates who will be younger than 16 by September 30 of the admission year are classified as underage.

Although such candidates are permitted to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, JAMB said they are not ordinarily considered for admission unless they qualify under the exceptional-candidate provision.