Admission: JAMB sets criteria for candidates below 16 years

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has set academic criteria for screening candidates below the age of 16 with a Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) score of 320 and above for admission into the 2025/2026 academic session.

The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, made this known while inaugurating a 23-man National Committee on Underage Admission in Abuja on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.

JAMB had disclosed that out of the over 38,000 underage candidates who applied for admission in the 2025/2026 academic session, only 599 candidates scored 320 and above in UTME.

Oloyede said the committee chaired by him will carry out the screening of the exceptional underage candidates in Abuja, Lagos, and Owerri.

While reaffirming 16 years as the minimum entry age for tertiary education, Oloyede said underage candidates would only be considered on clearly proven grounds of exceptional academic brilliance.

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The JAMB boss added that the 599 candidates with a score of 320 and above showed that there was every need for a tight filter.

Speaking during the virtual inauguration of the Committee, Oloyede maintained that to qualify for consideration, candidates under the age of 16 must meet three academic criteria, including a minimum UTME score of 320 out of 400 (80%), a post-UTME score of at least 80%, and a minimum of 80% in a single sitting of WAEC or NECO which amounts to 24 points out of 30.

At the meeting which was attended by vice chancellors and heads of admissions, Oloyede noted that JAMB would no longer tolerate the “academic abuse” of pushing psychologically and emotionally unprepared children into the rigours of university life.

“We are not saying no child under 16 will be admitted, but they must pass through a rigorous screening process that confirms they are truly gifted. This policy is not just about age; it’s about maturity, capacity, and long-term wellbeing,” the JAMB boss stated.

He also charged relevant institutions to assess all under-16 candidates through a dedicated post-UTME, even if the school has suspended such a process for the general admission population, adding that JAMB would further collate the academic records and forward only those who meet all benchmarks for further screening.

Oloyede further outlawed the combination of results from two different examination bodies, such as mixing WAEC and NECO, for such category of candidates, adding that science students must include mathematics in their top subjects, while arts students must include English.

The Star