The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has clarified the different admission statuses candidates may see on its Central Admissions Processing System as tertiary institutions continue processing offers for the 2026 admission cycle.
The clarification is particularly relevant to candidates who have logged into CAPS and found either “Not Admitted” or “Admission in Progress” instead of a final admission offer.
According to JAMB, “Not Admitted” means that a candidate has not yet received an admission offer, but the status does not automatically mean the candidate has been ruled out of the admission process.
The Board therefore advised candidates with the status to continue checking their CAPS profiles because their admission position can change as institutions proceed with their selection and recommendation processes.
What “Admission in Progress” means
JAMB said the “Admission in Progress” status generally indicates that a candidate has moved further through the institutional admission process but that the offer has not yet received all the required approvals.
In one situation, an institution’s admission officer may have proposed a candidate for admission, but the recommendation is still awaiting approval by the head of the institution.
Another possibility is that the institution’s head has already recommended the candidate, while the proposed admission is still awaiting JAMB’s approval.
This means candidates should not treat “Admission in Progress” as equivalent to being fully admitted.
JAMB specifically warned that a proposed admission can still be rejected if the candidate does not satisfy the necessary requirements.
The Board said the final stage is reached when JAMB approves the admission offer.
When a candidate is officially admitted
A candidate becomes officially admitted on CAPS after JAMB approves the institution’s offer.
At that point, the candidate will receive the admission notification indicating that an offer has been made.
Candidates can then use CAPS to either accept or reject the admission offer, depending on their circumstances.
The distinction is important because an institution proposing a candidate does not, by itself, complete the admission process.
JAMB remains part of the approval chain, meaning candidates whose profiles show “Admission in Progress” still have to wait for the process to reach its final stage.
CAPS status can still change
JAMB also reminded candidates that their CAPS status is not necessarily static while the admission exercise is ongoing.
A candidate currently seeing “Not Admitted” could subsequently receive an offer, while a candidate listed as “Admission in Progress” still has to wait for the necessary approvals before the offer becomes final.
The Board advised candidates to monitor their CAPS profiles regularly rather than relying on unofficial messages or assumptions about their admission status.
The admission process ultimately moves through institutional recommendations and the required JAMB approval before an admission offer becomes official.
For candidates still waiting, the practical distinction is therefore straightforward: “Not Admitted” means no offer has been made yet; “Admission in Progress” indicates that an admission proposal or recommendation is being processed; and “Admitted” means the offer has received JAMB’s approval.
JAMB said candidates should continue checking their CAPS accounts until the admission process reaches its final stage, after which they can print their admission letters.
