JAMB explains ‘Not admitted’ and ‘Admission in progress’ statuses, here’s what yours means

• JAMB says "Not Admitted" does not mean a candidate has lost admission.

• "Admission in Progress" means admission is still being processed and is not a guarantee.

• Candidates become officially admitted only after JAMB approves the offer on CAPS.

• The Board urged candidates to keep checking CAPS and rely only on official JAMB updates.

If you've been logging into JAMB CAPS every few hours only to keep seeing "Not Admitted", relax, you are not alone.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has finally explained what the different admission statuses on the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) actually mean, clearing up one of the biggest sources of anxiety for thousands of UTME candidates across Nigeria.

In an explainer video shared on Thursday, the examination body said candidates should not panic if their CAPS status still shows "Not Admitted", because it doesn't automatically mean they've lost their admission.

According to JAMB, "Not Admitted" simply means no admission has been offered yet.

"This simply means you've not been offered admission yet. However, it does not necessarily mean you will not be admitted."

The Board advised candidates to keep checking their CAPS regularly because their admission status can still change as schools continue processing admissions.

READ ALSO: FG plans national call centre where Nigerians can report electricity outages and get them resolved

JAMB also explained that seeing "Admission in Progress" doesn't mean you've already secured a spot in your preferred institution.

The Board said one possible meaning is that the school's admission officer has recommended the candidate for admission, but the institution's head is yet to approve it.

"This means your institution's admission officer has proposed you for admission, but awaiting the head of institution's recommendation."

In some cases, the institution may have already completed its part, but the admission is still waiting for JAMB to either approve or reject it.

Even then, JAMB warned candidates not to celebrate too early.

"Please note that 'Admission in Progress' does not mean automatic admission."

The Board explained that a proposed admission can still be rejected if the candidate fails to meet the necessary admission requirements.

"This is because the recommended offer could still be disapproved by the Board if you don't meet the prerequisite requirements."

READ ALSO: Power minister says Nigerians are begging him to slow down because freezers are freezing due to 18 hours power supply

According to JAMB, you're only officially admitted after the Board approves the admission and your CAPS status changes to "Admitted."

That's when candidates will receive the message:

"CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE BEEN OFFERED ADMISSION"

Once this happens, candidates can either accept or reject the admission offer directly on the CAPS portal before proceeding to print their admission letter.

JAMB also reminded candidates that their CAPS status is not permanent and may change several times during the admission exercise.

"Remember, your CAPS status will keep changing as the admission process continues until the final stage where you print your admission letter."

The Board advised candidates to ignore rumours circulating online and rely only on official JAMB communication channels for accurate information about the 2026 admission process.

For many candidates, the explanation comes as a relief after weeks of repeatedly checking CAPS and worrying over admission updates. So if your portal still says "Not Admitted," don't lose hope just yet, your school may still be processing admissions.