JAMB to screen over 500 exceptional underage candidates for 2025/2026 Admissions

 

This article provides details of the announcement by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) regarding a special screening for exceptional candidates under 16 years old for the 2025/2026 academic session.

Key Details of the Screening Exercise

Detail	Information
What	A special screening exercise for outstanding candidates under the age of 16.
Who	The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and a special technical committee.
When	September 22 to 26, 2025.
Number of Candidates	Over 500 candidates.
Screening Locations	Lagos: 397 candidates , Owerri: 136 candidates , Abuja: 66 candidates
Purpose	To ensure only the most prepared underage candidates are considered, while also discouraging age falsification.
Screening Process	Will include subject-specific tests and a brief oral interview. WAEC results will also be verified.

Strict Qualification Criteria

Candidates must meet all of the following stringent benchmarks to be considered for admission through this special screening:

▪ UTME Score: At least 320 (80%).

▪ Post-UTME Score: At least 80%.

▪ WAEC/NECO: An 80% score (24 out of 30 points) in a single sitting.

Important Notes

▪ This special screening is for the small percentage of 1.955 million candidates who wrote the 2025 UTME but are under the age of 16.

▪ The Federal Ministry of Education has set a minimum admission age of 16 for tertiary institutions.

▪ Four universities have declared that they will not admit underage candidates under any circumstances:

▪ Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna

▪ Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi

▪ University of Jos

▪ Osun State University