The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has explained what the “Not Admitted,” “Admission in Progress” and “Admitted” statuses mean on candidates’ Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
The Board provided the clarification in an explainer video shared on Thursday as candidates continue to monitor their admission status.
JAMB urged candidates to regularly check their CAPS because admission statuses may change as institutions and the Board complete the admission process.
For candidates seeing “Not Admitted,” JAMB said the status simply means that an admission offer has not been made yet.
“This simply means you’ve not been offered admission yet. However, it does not necessarily mean you will not be admitted,” the Board explained.
JAMB advised candidates whose CAPS continues to display “Not Admitted” to keep checking for updates rather than assuming that their admission process has ended.
The Board also clarified the meaning of “Admission in Progress,” a status that has caused uncertainty among some candidates.
According to JAMB, the status can mean that the candidate’s institution has proposed an admission offer but the process has not yet been completed.
“This means your institution’s admission officer has proposed you for admission, but awaiting the head of institution’s recommendation,” JAMB said.
The Board explained that “Admission in Progress” could also appear after the head of an institution has recommended a candidate but the offer is still awaiting JAMB’s approval or disapproval.
JAMB, however, warned candidates not to treat the status as confirmation that admission has already been secured.
“Please note that ‘Admission in Progress’ does not mean automatic admission,” the Board stated.
The Board said an admission recommendation could still be rejected if the candidate does not satisfy the required conditions.
“This is because the recommended offer could still be disapproved by the Board if you don’t meet the prerequisite requirements,” JAMB explained.
A candidate’s CAPS status changes to “Admitted” after JAMB officially approves the admission offer.
According to the Board, this is when the candidate receives the confirmation message:
“CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE BEEN OFFERED ADMISSION.”
Candidates who reach this stage can then use CAPS to accept or reject the admission offer.
JAMB further explained that CAPS statuses are not necessarily permanent during the admission exercise and can change as the process moves through different stages.
“Remember, your CAPS status will keep changing as the admission process continues until the final stage where you print your admission letter,” the Board said.
The clarification comes as candidates continue to monitor their admission offers following the 2026 admission exercise.
JAMB advised candidates to keep checking their CAPS regularly and rely on the Board’s official communication channels for verified information rather than assuming that a particular status represents a final admission decision.
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