The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified that candidates who accepted admission in 2025 into any tertiary institution will not be eligible for consideration in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) unless they formally withdraw from the earlier admission.
According to the clarification, JAMB does not permit candidates to run two admissions concurrently. Once a candidate accepts an offer of admission through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), JAMB automatically recognises the individual as a registered student of that institution, regardless of whether the candidate has resumed or is satisfied with the course or school.
This means that candidates currently studying in universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, or monotechnics, or those who accepted admission in 2025 but did not proceed further, have only two options: continue with the admission already accepted, or formally withdraw from the institution and ensure the withdrawal is properly reflected in JAMB’s system before registering for a new UTME.
JAMB further clarified that formal withdrawal involves submitting an official withdrawal letter to the institution and completing all necessary clearance procedures to remove the admission status from CAPS. Only after this process is completed can such candidates lawfully register for the 2026 UTME.
However, candidates who did not accept any admission offer in 2025 and rejected it on CAPS are free to register for the 2026 UTME without restriction.
The examination body also warned that candidates cannot remain enrolled in an institution while attempting to “try JAMB again”, stressing that such attempts will be blocked during registration or admission processing.
Prospective candidates are therefore advised to check their CAPS status, confirm whether they accepted any previous admission, and make an informed decision before registering for the 2026 UTME, as failure to do so could result in the loss of an entire academic year.
