JAMB Opens Door For Exceptional Underage Candidates, Set 320 UTME Benchmark

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that candidates under the age of 16 may be considered for admission into tertiary institutions.

Naijaonpoint gathered that they would be considered if they demonstrated exceptional academic ability by scoring at least 80 per cent in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Given that the UTME is scored out of 400, this translates to a minimum benchmark of 320 marks.

Policy Reversal On Admission Age

This development follows the recent reversal of the mandatory 18-year admission age benchmark introduced by the former Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman.

The current Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa, reinstated the previous benchmark of 16 years, a move widely welcomed by stakeholders in the education sector.

Speaking at a meeting with key stakeholders, including Chief External Examiners, Chief Technical Advisors, and members of the Equal Opportunity Group, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, reiterated that while the 16-year age requirement remains the standard, exceptional candidates under 16 may be granted admission under strict conditions.

Room For Exceptional Candidates

A transcript of the meeting published in JAMB’s bulletin quoted Oloyede as saying: “This is about complying with the law. Age plays a crucial role in maturity and academic development. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have age limits for leadership positions such as local government chairman. Biological age is linked to intellectual growth, and while rules exist, there must be room for exceptions.

“The Minister of Education has clearly stated that the minimum age for admission remains 16. However, we acknowledge that some gifted children exist. These individuals should not be overlooked. We must identify them and allow them to sit for the exams.”

Oloyede emphasized that exceptional students must demonstrate outstanding academic ability across multiple assessments, including the UTME, WASSCE, Post-UTME, and GCE O/Level.

“If a candidate under 16 scores 200 out of 400 in the UTME, can they truly be considered exceptional? However, if they achieve 80% (320/400), that signals exceptional ability and warrants consideration,” he added.

Concerns Over Private Universities And Age Manipulation

However, Oloyede raised concerns over the role of private universities in admitting underage students, stating that many of these candidates struggle academically, with up to 80 percent eventually being transferred to other programs due to poor performance.

He also condemned the manipulation of birth records by parents seeking early admission for their wards, only to later attempt to alter their ages for eligibility in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.

Introduction Of Mock UTME for Underage Candidates

Recently in Lagos, the JAMB Registrar disclosed that the exam body had introduced a mock UTME for underage candidates.

Oloyede explained that the mock UTME is not meant for tertiary institution admission but for underage candidates seeking to test their ability.

“We are starting the sale of forms on the 31st of January till 5th of March. There will be a mock exam on the 23rd of February and on the 8th of March there will be UTME,” the JAMB Registrar said.