The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board says candidates marked “Not Admitted” may still receive offers, while “Admission in Progress” does not guarantee admission.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified the meanings of the various admission statuses displayed to candidates on its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).

The clarification is expected to help candidates understand whether they have been offered admission, are still being considered or need to wait for further updates as institutions continue their admission processes.

In an explainer video shared on Thursday, JAMB explained the meanings of three major statuses: “Not Admitted,” “Admission in Progress” and “Admitted.” The Board also urged candidates to regularly check their CAPS accounts for changes.

‘Not Admitted’ does not mean admission is over

According to JAMB, a candidate whose CAPS status shows “Not Admitted” has not been offered admission at that point.

However, the Board stressed that the status does not necessarily mean the candidate will not eventually gain admission.

“This simply means you’ve not been offered admission yet. However, it does not necessarily mean you will not be admitted,” JAMB explained.

The Board therefore advised candidates with the “Not Admitted” status to remain patient and continue checking their CAPS, as their status could change as institutions make further recommendations.

What ‘Admission in Progress’ means

JAMB also explained that “Admission in Progress” indicates that a candidate may have been recommended for admission by the institution, but the process has not yet reached its final stage.

The Board said the status could mean that an institution’s admission officer had proposed the candidate for admission and was awaiting the recommendation of the head of the institution.

“This means your institution’s admission officer has proposed you for admission, but awaiting the head of institution’s recommendation,” JAMB said.

The status may also appear where the head of the institution has already recommended the candidate but the admission is still awaiting JAMB’s final approval or disapproval.

‘Admission in Progress’ is not automatic admission

JAMB cautioned candidates against treating the “Admission in Progress” status as confirmation that admission had already been secured.

“Please note that ‘Admission in Progress’ does not mean automatic admission,” the Board warned.

It explained that an admission recommendation could still be rejected if the candidate did not satisfy 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,” JAMB stated.

Candidates are therefore expected to wait for the status to change to “Admitted” before considering the offer officially confirmed.

When a candidate is officially ‘Admitted’

According to JAMB, the “Admitted” status is reached after the Board approves the admission offer.

“This is the point you get the message, ‘CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE BEEN OFFERED ADMISSION’,” JAMB explained.

Once the admission has been officially offered, candidates can use CAPS to indicate whether they accept or reject the admission.

JAMB said candidates should continue monitoring their CAPS because admission statuses can change at different stages of the process.

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

The Board urged candidates to regularly check their CAPS accounts and rely on JAMB’s official communication channels for accurate information rather than unverified reports or messages circulating online.

For candidates still seeing “Not Admitted” or “Admission in Progress,” the Board’s explanation means the admission process may not yet have reached its final stage. Candidates are therefore advised to continue monitoring their CAPS for any official update.