The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has cleared the results of 85 underage candidates for exceptional admission, following a thorough screening process. This decision was announced in a statement by JAMB’s spokesman, Fabian Benjamin, on Monday in Abuja. The candidates, who met the required criteria, have been notified to proceed to their respective institutions to complete the admission process and print their individual JAMB admission letters.
According to the statement, the 85 candidates were among 41,027 who sought consideration under the special category of exceptional admission in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Of these, 599 candidates scored the 80% threshold in the UTME and were subjected to further scrutiny, including school certificate and Post-UTME screening. This process led to the emergence of 182 candidates, who were then interviewed and screened, resulting in the selection of the 85 successful candidates.
JAMB’s policy of exceptional admission is consistent with global best practices, where such cases are treated as rare exceptions rather than the norm. The board has urged candidates who missed the screening to contact it for further advice, particularly the 182 finalist-candidates who may have missed the final interview for valid reasons. These candidates can submit a formal request through the JAMB Support Ticketing System under the category “2025 Underage Complaint.”
Additionally, candidates who scored 320 and above in UTME but failed to upload their O-Level results and were disqualified from proceeding have been given a chance to upload their results within two days, until October 29, 2025. They must notify the board of such uploads through the ticketing system.
The decision to clear the results of the 85 underage candidates highlights JAMB’s commitment to ensuring that eligible candidates are given the opportunity to pursue higher education, while maintaining the integrity of the admission process. The board’s exceptional admission policy is designed to accommodate rare cases where candidates may not meet the standard admission requirements, but demonstrate exceptional academic potential. With this development, the affected candidates can now proceed to complete their admission process and embark on their academic journey.
