The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has explained the meanings of the admission statuses displayed on candidates’ Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), urging applicants to regularly check their profiles as the 2026/2027 admission process continues.
The Board provided the clarification in an explainer video shared on Thursday, focusing on the “Not Admitted,” “Admission in Progress” and “Admitted” statuses.
JAMB explained that the “Not Admitted” status means a candidate has not yet received an admission offer but does not necessarily indicate that the candidate will not be admitted.
“This simply means you’ve not been offered admission yet. However, it does not necessarily mean you will not be admitted,” the Board stated, advising affected candidates to continue checking their CAPS for updates.
It explained that “Admission in Progress” could indicate that an institution had recommended a candidate for admission, but the offer was still awaiting approval from the head of the institution or JAMB.
According to the Board, the status may also appear when the head of an institution has recommended a candidate but JAMB is yet to approve or reject the offer.
JAMB, however, warned candidates not to regard “Admission in Progress” as confirmation of admission, noting that a recommended offer could still be rejected if the candidate failed to meet the required conditions.
“Please note that ‘Admission in Progress’ does not mean automatic admission,” it cautioned.
The Board said a candidate becomes officially admitted only after JAMB approves the admission offer. At that stage, the candidate receives the message: “CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE BEEN OFFERED ADMISSION.”
Candidates who receive the official offer can then accept or reject it through the CAPS platform.
JAMB added that admission statuses could change as institutions and the Board complete the different stages of the admission process. It advised candidates to monitor their CAPS profiles until the final stage, when they can print their admission letters.
The Board urged applicants to rely on its official communication channels for verified information and to avoid assuming that a provisional recommendation amounts to a confirmed admission offer.
