JAMB adjusts admission deadlines, score evaluation, and other policies

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) 2025 Policy Meeting introduced major updates for students, parents, and stakeholders in Nigeria’s education system.

At the recently concluded annual policy meeting, the board made several significant changes, including adjustments to admission deadlines and the interpretation of candidates’ scores. However, the development has been met with scepticism by many.

Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of JAMB, unveiled various policy reforms, stating that the entrance examination into tertiary institutions conducted by the board is now focused more on ranking than on raw scores.

“JAMB is not an achievement test; it is a ranking exam,” Oloyede said.

This means that a candidate’s chances of gaining admission depend not only on how high their score is but on how that score compares with others competing for the same course and institution.

According to the new rule, a candidate who applied for Nursing in a particular university and scored 278 may still not be admitted if there are enough other applicants with higher scores to fill the institution’s admission quota for that programme.

Another update announced is that all JAMB result slips will now display the candidate’s actual score and national ranking.

For example, a candidate with a score of 370 may be ranked 16th nationally, while someone with 200 could rank 533,005, and a score of 140 might be associated with a ranking above 1.5 million.

This implies that students should focus more on their national ranking rather than just the score itself.

JAMB also revealed the top ten performers in the 2025 UTME, along with the institutions and courses they selected.

The list includes Nzekwe Chinedu Chielotan, who scored 379 and applied to the University of Lagos for Mechanical Engineering; Ayuba Simon-Peter John, 378, University of Lagos, Mechanical Engineering; Jimoh Abdulmutalib Olayinka, 374, University of Lagos, Mechanical Engineering; and Roberts Daniels Ayiba, 373, University of Lagos, Mechanical Engineering.

Others are Ononogbu Chigozirim Chibuozor, 373, University of Lagos, Electrical/Electronic Engineering; Olawoye Garrudee Tumise, 371, University of Lagos, Mechanical Engineering; Afiunu Ofeoritse Leslie, 369, Covenant University, Computer Science; Azayiseme Samuel Chukwumeka, 369, Covenant University, Mechanical Engineering; Oyelude Oluwapemisi Emmanuel, 369, Obafemi Awolowo University, Aerospace Engineering; and Omigie Osaiogho Cecil, 367, University of Ibadan, Mechanical Engineering.

JAMB also listed the universities that received the most first-choice applications in 2025. Lagos State University (LASU) topped the list with 79,000 applicants; the University of Lagos (UNILAG) had 58,645; the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), 56,734; Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), 52,103; and Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), 51,467.

Others included the University of Ibadan (UI), with 48,291 applicants; the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), 46,542; the University of Benin (UNIBEN), 45,686; and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), 43,777.

This means that applicants will face increased competition in these institutions, especially in popular fields such as Medicine, Law, and Engineering.

The approved cut-off marks for admission in 2025 are 150 for federal and state universities, 140 for colleges of nursing, and 100 for polytechnics and colleges of agriculture or education.

Admission deadlines for the 2025/2026 academic year were also announced. Public universities are expected to complete their admission process by October 2025, while private institutions have until November or December 2025.

In a new development, admission offers will now have expiry dates. If JAMB recommends a candidate to an institution, the institution must either accept or reject the candidate within two weeks.

Similarly, when a candidate receives an admission offer from an institution, they are expected to accept or decline it within four weeks.

JAMB has also tightened regulations against admission manipulation, known as “runs”. Under the new policy, universities must admit at least 90 percent of their students based on merit before considering other criteria. “Merit-first” is now a mandatory policy.

The board reaffirmed that the minimum age for admission remains 16. This means that no candidate below the age of 16 will be eligible for admission, regardless of their UTME score.

JAMB further confirmed that medical-related courses remain the most competitive. Over 570,000 candidates applied for such courses, but only about 115,000 secured admission.

This translates to fewer than one in five applicants gaining entry, indicating that prospective medical students should prepare backup options.

Parents are advised to note that even a score above 300 may not guarantee admission if the student’s national rank is low. For instance, a candidate ranked 200,000 despite scoring above 300 may still miss out.

Meanwhile, many Nigerian parents and prospective students have expressed scepticism about the true intentions behind the new policy. Some believe the reforms may be aimed at denying qualified candidates admission, while favouring less deserving ones.