If your school has released it’s admission list and you check your admission status on JAMB CAPS only to see “Sorry, you have not been given admission yet,”
It’s common to feel disappointed. That’s exactly how I felt during my time.
It was on a Friday afternoon, and I got information that my school had published their admission list, I rushed down to a nearby cybercafe and checked my status.
Frankly, I was expecting “Congratulations, you have been admitted” because it was their second list, but I saw “Sorry, you have not been given admission yet,”.
I felt so much disappointment that I still dislike that cybercafe till today.
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If you’re wondering why your status is still showing “Sorry, you have not been given admission yet,” here’s why, and what you should do next.
Why is my admission status showing sorry you have not been given admission yet?
If your admission status is showing “Sorry, you have not been given admission”, it means that the school you applied to has not offered you admission.
This does not mean you’ll not get admission into the school again, you can still get it, but for now, they haven’t offered it to you yet.
The message is only saying that:
- Your school is still processing your admission, and your name is not on the released list.
- You were not included in the current admission list, but you can be in the next batch.
- Your school has not uploaded its full admission list to JAMB CAPS yet.
Remember admission is released in batches, if you don’t get it in this batch, you can get it in another batch.
The fact that your admission status is showing “Sorry, you have not been given admission yet,” does not mean you’ll not be admitted again.
You can still be admitted!
Reasons why your admission status shows “Sorry, you have not been given admission yet”
Your status will show this message if:
1. Your school has not started giving admissions yet
Most schools delay their admission process, and JAMB CAPS updates admission statuses based on when each school submits its list.
If your school has not started uploading admission lists, you’ll keep seeing this message until they do.
For example, if you applied for Computer Science at ABU and you check your JAMB CAPS, only to see“Sorry, you have not been given admission yet.”
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It could be that ABU had not started uploading its admission list on JAMB CAPS, while other schools had.
2. Your name has not been uploaded yet
When a school starts offering admission to students who are qualified to be admitted, they do it in batches.
If they release the first list and your name is not there, you’ll get this “Sorry, you have not been given admission yet” message if you check your status.
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However, this does not mean you won’t get admission again, you can still be considered in a later batch like the second list or second batch, so you need to keep checking.
Some schools even have third and fourth batches, plus a supplementary list.
So, if you applied for Nursing and saw that your friend, who also applied for Nursing, had been admitted.
You just need to keep checking your JAMB CAPS, your name may be on the next list.
3. You did not meet the required cut-off mark
By now, you already know that each course has a departmental cut-off mark.
If your score is below the required cut-off, the school may or may not consider you for admission.
If they consider you, it’ll possibly be for another course. In that case, they’ll transfer you to a new course.
If a transfer happens, then it’ll take a longer time before your admission into the new course is finalized.
While it is taking time, if you check your status, you’ll certainly see the “Sorry, you have not been given admission yet” message.
But later when your admission is finalized, your status will change to “admitted”.
4. Your O’level results are not uploaded on JAMB CAPS
To be considered for admission, JAMB requires all candidates to upload their WAEC/NECO/NABTEB results on the portal.
If your result is not uploaded, your admission cannot be processed.
If they don’t process it because you have not uploaded your results, you’ll see the “Sorry, you have not been given admission yet” message whenever you check your dashboard.
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Here’s what you need to do: Go to any JAMB-accredited CBT centre to upload your results immediately.
5. Your school has not forwarded your name to JAMB
Even after offering students admission, some schools take time before sending the admission list to JAMB for approval.
If your school has offered you admission but it’s not yet on JAMB CAPS, be patient, else you’ll get the Sorry, you have not been given admission yet” message whenever you check your JAMB CAPS.
What you’ll do in this case is to give it time and check again, once your name is forwarded, it’ll be uploaded by JAMB and your status will change to “admitted”.
6. You were transferred to another course
When your school transfers or moves you to a different course because you did not meet the requirements for your original course.
It’ll take time before they finalise your admission and submit your name to JAMB.
During the waiting time, you’ll likely see the “Sorry, you have not been given admission yet” message.
However, after a while, when JAMB finally receives and confirms your admission, your status will change to “admitted”.
7. The Admission quota for your course is full
Some schools have a limited number of slots for each course.
If your course reaches its admission quota before your name is considered, you’ll not gain admission unless the school decides to expand the quota or transfer you to another course.
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If you check your status when they have not decided on your application, you’ll see “Sorry, you have not been given admission yet”.
But once they make a positive decision on your application.
Like, if they decide to offer you admission into another course or expand the quota to accommodate you, your status will change to “admitted”.
8. You did not choose the institution as your first choice
Most universities and polytechnics prioritize first-choice candidates before considering second-choice applicants (if they do at all).
If you select a school as a second choice, you’ll have a lower chance of admission.
During the waiting time, you’ll get the “Sorry, you have not been given admission yet” message, if they later decide to offer you admission, your status will change.
9. JAMB CAPS has not yet approved your admission
Even if your school has offered you admission, JAMB needs to verify and approve it.
Until JAMB confirms your admission, you will still see the message “Sorry, you have not been given admission yet.” whenever you check your status.
10. Your school has completed admission but you were not selected
If your school has concluded its admission process and you are still seeing the message, it means you were not admitted.
In this case, you can do a “change of institution” to know if another school will offer you admission since your preferred school didn’t.
This will only happen if you still have time.
11. Your admission was rejected or not approved by JAMB
Even if a school offers you admission, JAMB must approve it before it reflects on CAPS.
If you were not admitted due to issues with JAMB, you have to contact JAMB support for clarification.
What to do if you have not been given admission or
if your admission status says “Sorry you have not been given admission yet”
If you see the “Sorry, you have not been given admission yet” message on your dashboard, you should:
✅ 1. Keep checking your admission status regularly
- Admission lists are released in batches, so check your JAMB CAPS and your school portal frequently. Do it at least three times a week to know when your status changes.
✅ 2. Ensure your O’Level results are uploaded
- Go to any accredited JAMB CBT centre to confirm and upload your WAEC/NECO/NABTEB results.
- If your result is missing on JAMB CAPS, your admission cannot be processed.
✅ 3. Check if your school has released more admission lists
- Some schools release multiple batches, so be patient and keep checking.
- In addition, go to your school’s website, admission office, or social media pages to check if they released more lists.
- Even if your school release more admission lists, it’ll take time before it’s uploaded into JAMB CAPS.
✅ 4. Consider a change of course or institution
- If your course is too competitive, and you’re unlikely to get admission into the course, plus your school is not giving you the option to transfer to another course, you can apply for a change of course to a less competitive one.
- Or, if you suspect that you’ll not get admission into your current school, you can apply for a JAMB “Change of institution” while admission is still ongoing.
- JAMB allows you to do a “change of institution” if your school is not offering you admission.
✅ 5. Contact your school’s admission office
- If you meet all requirements but still haven’t been admitted, go to or contact your school’s admission office for help.
✅ 6. Consider JAMB regularization or other admission options
- If you were not admitted due to an error, JAMB regularization will help you gain admission.
- However, if your school has completed its admission program and you’re not admitted, you can go for Part-time programs, JUPEB, IJMB, or Pre-degree programs.
✅ 7. Check the transfer approval section on JAMB CAPS
- Log in to JAMB CAPS and check the Transfer Approval section.
- If you have been transferred to another course, you must accept or reject the transfer before your admission can proceed and then your status changed from “Sorry, you have not been given admission yet” to “admitted” or “not admitted”.
✅ 8. Be patient and wait for more admission lists
- Some universities and polytechnics release admission lists in batches (first batch, second batch, supplementary list, etc.).
- If you were not admitted to the first list, you can still be admitted to the next batch.
FAQs
Can I still get admission after seeing “Sorry, you have not been given admission yet”?
Yes. The message does not mean rejection; it means your admission is still being processed or has not been uploaded yet.
How often should I check JAMB CAPS for admission updates?
You should check at least three times a week because your status can change at any time.
My institution has released the admission list, but my JAMB CAPS still shows “Sorry, you have not been given admission yet.” What should I do?
Be patient. It’ll take a few days or weeks for JAMB CAPS to update the admission list after your school has released its list.
Can I gain admission without uploading my O’Level results?
No. JAMB will not process your admission if your O’Level results are not uploaded.
To upload your results, go to a JAMB CBT centre with your results immediately.
Should I accept transfer approval if my institution offers me a different course?
If you like the new course, you should accept it but if you don’t like it, you should reject it. However, I must tell you that, if you reject it, you’ll lose the admission entirely.
Final words
If your JAMB CAPS admission status says “Sorry, you have not been given admission yet,” it does not necessarily mean you have been rejected.
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You can still be admitted when your school release its next admission list.
Just give it time and your status will change depending on whether you’re offered admission to a subsequent list or not.