JAMB says candidates checking their admission status will no longer be left with only “not admitted” or “admission in progress”, Registrar Prof. Segun Aina told UTME candidates at the board’s Abuja Zonal Office on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Speaking during JAMB’s 2026 Customer Week, Aina said the system now gives more detail on where an application stands, and that candidates who have lost the phone number or email they registered with can update those details more easily than before.
Those two status messages have caused more anxiety than almost anything else in the admission cycle, because “admission in progress” can sit unchanged for weeks with no hint of what’s happening behind it. With the deadline for accepting or rejecting 2021 to 2025 offers set for November 30 and many 2026 lists still coming out, a clearer status gives you something to act on. Aina framed the change around candidates’ trust, saying “Building trust is necessary. That is why now you can see the progress with your admission status.”
| Announced by | JAMB Registrar Prof. Segun Aina |
|---|---|
| Where and when | JAMB Abuja Zonal Office, 21 October 2026 |
| Admission status | More detail on application progress, beyond "not admitted" and "admission in progress" |
| Phone and email changes | Easier for candidates who lost access to their registered contacts |
| Name and identity records | Aligned with NIMC, with checks against fraud |
| Critical thinking test | Under study by a committee, no decision yet |
What “admission in progress” never told you
Aina said the board has moved past those short notices so you can follow your application’s progress rather than guess at it. He didn’t list the new status wording in his remarks, and JAMB hasn’t published a guide to it yet, so the exact messages you’ll see may vary until the board explains them. Until that guide appears, read any new status as information about where your record is, not as an offer.
Check your status only on JAMB’s own platforms, and treat any offer you hear about elsewhere with suspicion. A genuine admission must show on the Central Admissions Processing System before you accept it, and our guide on verifying an offer on CAPS walks through that check. Once an offer does appear there, accept or reject it promptly instead of leaving it until the deadline week, when the portal is busiest.
Lost the SIM you registered with? That’s less of a dead end now
Phone numbers and email addresses work as unique identifiers in JAMB’s system, which is why changing them was so hard for candidates who had lost a SIM or an old email account. Aina said the board has deployed technology that makes those updates easier while keeping its systems secure. That matters for anyone who wrote the UTME years ago on a line they no longer have, since JAMB’s messages go to whatever contact is on your profile.
Name and personal detail corrections now run through closer work with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), building on the NIN alignment service JAMB reopened on October 16. Aina was blunt about anyone hoping to use the new flexibility to change identity for admission. “If you would like to change your entire name, we will keep track of you,” he said, adding “And if you are trying to take advantage of the system, please get ready.” Make sure your NIN record is correct first, because JAMB aligns your profile to NIMC’s data, not the other way round.
The critical thinking test isn’t decided yet
Aina also addressed the proposal to assess critical thinking and life skills in JAMB’s examinations. A committee headed by psychometrician Prof. Nwogu is studying it, and he said no decision will be taken until management has reviewed its findings, so nothing about the format you prepare for has changed. He also backed the harmonised 2027 exam calendar even though it shortens JAMB’s own preparation time, saying better coordination should get results out in time for admissions. The proposed dates are in our breakdown of the 2027 UTME, NECO and WAEC timetable.
If your 2026 status has said “admission in progress” for weeks, log in again this week through JAMB’s official website and see whether more detail now shows. If your registered phone number or email no longer works, sort that out first, since every update about your admission will be sent there.
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