NOTICE: JAMB Central Admission Processing System Terms That Can Jeopardize Your Admission If Misinterpreted

It's no longer news that several tertiary institutions across Nigeria have commenced their admission processes for 2025/26 academic session through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) with candidates actively checking their admission statuses. As earlier said via some of my UTME Forums, the JAMB CAPS portal is designed to streamline the admission process, allowing candidates to monitor their admission progress and make informed decisions. There has however been growing confusion surrounding terms such as “Not Admitted,” “Admission in Progress,” or “Transfer Approval” displayed on the CAPS portal and misinterpreting any of these statuses can lead to missed opportunities or incorrect decisions. For instance, failing to accept a transfer approval promptly could jeopardize a candidate’s chances of securing admission. To address these concerns, I'll be helping with a clear and comprehensive explanation of these terms and actionable steps concerned candidates are to take as at when due.

First term every candidates' admission status displays before institutions kickstart their admission processes is: "SORRY YOU'VE NOT BEEN ADMITTED" or "NOT ADMITTED". When your CAPS dashboard status shows any of the aforesaid, it simply signifies that you're yet to be offered admission by your institution. This doesn’t always mean rejection, because admissions are released in batches. It is also possible your school may not have uploaded your details yet, so it’s important to keep checking regularly - especially if your school has started giving admissions.

If on the long run your status says "RECOMMENDED" or “ADMISSION IN PROGRESS,” it means your school has already reviewed your application and recommended you for admission and JAMB is currently processing or validating it to ensure it meets the necessary criteria. At this stage, you are close to being admitted, and if everything goes well, the status will definitely change to “CONGRATULATIONS...”

Then your seeing "ADMITTED" or “CONGRATATIONS..." via your caps means that your admission have been officially validated and approved by JAMB, from here, you need to take action by either accepting the admission to secure it or rejecting it if you do not want the offer — for example, if you are waiting for admission into another school or course.

Meanwhile, when you see “TRANSFER APPROVAL” on your CAPS, it indicates that your institution has proposed transferring you to another course or program, often due to unmet requirements for the original course (e.g., not meeting the cut-off mark or subject combination). You will then be required to either accept the transfer if you are comfortable with the new course, or reject it if you prefer to stick with your original choice. However, rejecting a transfer might reduce your chances of getting admission in that institution.

Sometimes, JAMB may suggest other schools or courses that are available for you, even if your chosen school has not offered you admission. This is called the "JAMB Market Place offer" . You can then decide to accept this alternative admission or reject it, depending on your preference.

Lastly is the admission acceptance or rejection term to wit: ACCEPT ADMISSION which is the option you use when you are satisfied with the admission given to you. Accepting the admission confirms it officially with JAMB. It’s important to note that you cannot accept admission directly by yourself on the JAMB portal — the process requires your fingerprint, which can only be captured at an accredited JAMB CBT centre. Alternatively, JAMB allows you to accept admission through SMS to 55019 or 66019 from the phone number you used for JAMB registration - will be further explained later in this article.

The REJECT ADMISSION term is the most welcoming option to use if you don’t want the admission you have been offered. Like acceptance, you cannot reject admission by yourself on the JAMB portal because fingerprint verification is required at an accredited CBT centre. You can, however, reject an admission through SMS to 55019 or 66019 from your JAMB registration phone number.

HOW TO ACCEPT OR REJECT YOUR ADMISSION VIA SMS:

Alternatively as earlier stated, JAMB now allows candidates to accept or reject admission via SMS. That is to say, if you have been offered Admission on Jamb Caps, all you need to do is, send your JAMB Registration Number + SPACE + ACCEPT or REJECT to 55019 or 66019 using the SIM card/Phone number linked to your JAMB profile. Sample below:

After successfully sending the message, you can proceed to pay and print your JAMB admission letter HERE. Kindly note that you'll be charged for the service as disclosed in the sample image. Meanwhile, if your admission status still shows AIP - Admission in Progress, you may need to wait until it updates to "Admitted" before proceeding.

My candid advice to candidates especially UNIZIK prospective students as the school continue to roll out admission lists, is to stay proactive and informed. And please this article is part of my little ways of providing clarity and guidance to varsity students and aspirants navigating the tertiary admission process. I'd wish everyone of you the best of luck. To admitted candidates, congratulations and welcome to a world where your life decisions counts most - depends...

OTHER RELATED ARTICLES:

[2025/2026] Everything You Need to Know About UNIZIK Admission Procedure .

How UNIZIK Supplementary Admission Application Works .

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