Previously, the role JAMB and schools played before students got admission into higher institutions in Nigeria was clear.
JAMB conducted the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), and once they were done with that, schools took over and handled the rest.
But over the years, things have changed, and the whole process has now turned into a more collaborative system, which is good.
However, because of this collaboration, many students are confused about who is in charge, who gives admission and the rest.
Different opinions and theories are now circulating:
- Some say JAMB is fully in charge.
- Others insist the school determines everything.
- There’s also the belief that JAMB gives admission first.
- Or that the school does, and JAMB only confirms it.
So, what’s the truth?
The truth is that JAMB and schools both play important roles. Each handles a part of the process, and they need each other to handle the whole process.
It is not school alone or JAMB alone, it is school and JAMB working together.
Who gives admission first JAMB or school?
The school does. It is schools that give admission first, and here is how it’s done.
After you write your UTME, schools will conduct their post-UTME. Then, JAMB will send your JAMB score to the schools you chose.
Once the school receives it, they will start checking if you meet their requirements.
They will go through your UTME score, O’Level results, and post-UTME score to know if you qualify for admission.
If you qualify, the school admission unit will add your name to their admission list, thereby giving you admission “first”.
The school then send this list to JAMB for review. JAMB doesn’t just accept the list blindly.
They will check it to make sure you truly qualify for admission, and that the whole list follows national policies like merit, catchment area, and other guidelines.
If everything is okay, JAMB will approve the list and update your status on CAPS. That’s when your admission becomes official.
This approval by JAMB officially confirms the admission given to you by the school.
Once JAMB validates the list, they will upload it to their CAPS and update every student’s status to “admitted”.
It is from there that you can either accept or reject the admission offered to you by your chosen school.
In general, for you to get admission into tertiary institutions, there are two main players:
- The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB)
- And the school (university, polytechnic, vocational institution, or college of Education).
The school will recommend you for admission, and JAMB will give the final approval.
Therefore, the school gives admission first by selecting you for admission, but JAMB finalises the process by validating and formalising it.
What’s JAMB’s role in students getting admission?
JAMB (Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board) is a regulatory body, and it oversees admissions into all approved tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
As I already said, JAMB isn’t just sitting there watching. They monitor all admissions and make sure that the process is fair and transparent.
They also check if national policies and guidelines, like quotas for merit, catchment areas (etc), are followed by schools.
Plus, you already know that they organise the UTME, which is the first step to getting admission.
If you don’t pass this exam, forget admission for that year.
Does this make JAMB the ultimate?
No, not at all.
But, it does give them power, enough to control who’s in or out.
Other work they do is:
- They manage the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), the platform where you see and accept your admission.
- They approve all school admission lists to make sure no one cheats the system.
So, even though the school chooses you first, JAMB has the final say.
No JAMB approval? No valid admission.
In general, one can say that JAMB’s role in admission into higher institutions in Nigeria is very important.
What do schools do in the admission process?
By now, this shouldn’t be hard for you to answer, right? Schools don’t just wait around.
The role of schools starts when JAMB is done with the UTME. Schools then conduct post-UTME and compile all your scores.
They will collect your UTME scores (sent by JAMB), your O’level results, plus your post-UTME score and use them for their evaluations.
The evaluation is simply them checking all your scores to know if you are eligible for admission.
If you are, your name will go into their admission list, which they will send to JAMB for approval.
Only after JAMB says yes does your admission become official. That’s when you’ll see “Admitted” as your status in CAPS.
So, it goes like this:
- School picks candidates and add them to their admission list
- Then they send the list to JAMB for approval
- JAMB approves the list, meaning your admission is official.
- CAPS reflects the change
So, when next you’re asked who gives admission first, your answer should be:
School does.
Each school start the process by deciding who should be on the admission list. JAMB can recommend you for admission, but can’t add your name to the admission list.
When JAMB recommend you, the school can still say no and refuse to add you to their list, and there is nothing JAMB can do about it.
But every admission list created by the school won’t be valid until JAMB approves it.
This means that while the school starts the process, JAMB has the final say in offering admission.
What happens on JAMB CAPS?
The Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) is where you see the decision made about your admission between your chosen school and JAMB or by JAMB.
It is where students can log in and:
- See their admission status.
- Accept or reject an admission offer.
If you’re offered an admission and you don’t accept it, you’ll lose the admission slot even if the school has already admitted you.
Who is more important, the school or JAMB?
No one is more important, everybody plays their role very well to help students get admission.
But you know that without schools compiling the admission list and forwarding the same to JAMB, JAMB cannot approve any list.
Can JAMB give you admission without the school giving you?
The short answer is no. They can’t do it. JAMB cannot just randomly pick your name and give you admission.
The only thing they can do is to recommend you for admission based on your UTME and O’Level results, especially through the CAPS marketplace.
But the actual admission must still come from the school. Every valid admission must be school-approved and JAMB-validated.
Can the school admit you without JAMB?
Again, no. Even if a school wants to admit you directly, it still has to pass through JAMB. Otherwise, it won’t be recognised officially.
So, the truth is – you need both.
How does admission work in Nigeria?
The process is simple. JAMB starts the admission process with the UTME exam, then sends each student’s scores to their chosen schools.
Schools go through each student’s details and select those who qualify for admission and add them to their admission list
Then, they send this list to JAMB for validation. JAMB picks it from them, goes through the list and validates them, then publishes the names on CAPS as admitted students.
The schools will also publish these validated names on their portal as admitted students.
How long does it take for school to give admission after JAMB has given?
It takes schools between 2 – 6 weeks to give you admission after JAMB has given their approval. If there are delays, it’ll be due to verification issues.
How long does it take for admission to reflect on the school portal?
After your chosen school gives you admission, it’ll take 7 to 14 working days for the “admission” to reflect on the school’s portal.
What does it mean when your JAMB CAPS is showing admission in progress?
When your JAMB CAPS shows “Admission in Progress,” it means that your chosen school has started reviewing your application to determine if you qualify for admission.
If you do, they will add your name to their admission list and send it to JAMB for them to validate your admission.
Conclusively, if you’re wondering who gives admission first.
The school does.
But remember, until JAMB approves it, that admission is not valid.
Here’s how to think about it:
- The school starts the process: They pick you for admission and send your name with other students to JAMB.
- JAMB finishes it: They confirm and validate the list.
What you need to know is that no one works alone here. It’s a team effort – school and JAMB work together to give you admission.