The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has introduced a new rule for all 2026 UTME candidates, and it is one every admission seeker must take seriously. Starting from the 2026 admission cycle, candidates will be required to officially declare their admission status through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) before their admission can be confirmed.
This means that simply seeing “Admission in Progress” or receiving an unverified admission offer from a school is no longer enough. Candidates will now have to formally accept or reject their admission on CAPS before the process becomes valid.
Why This New Rule?
According to JAMB, the major reasons behind this decision are:
- To ensure transparency in the admission process.
- To make sure candidates are aware of the institution that has finally offered them a space.
- To reduce admission fraud caused by fake agents claiming they can “secure admission”.
By making the declaration step compulsory, JAMB wants every admission to be recorded and traceable within CAPS.
How the Mandatory Declaration Affects Candidates
- You must monitor your CAPS regularly.
Your admission will not be valid until you accept or reject it. - Schools will only process students who have accepted their offers.
If you fail to declare your admission status, the slot may be given to another candidate. - No student will be allowed to skip the declaration step.
This applies to universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. - You cannot claim you were admitted by a school if you did not accept it on CAPS.
JAMB’s new rule may seem strict, but it is designed to make the admission process clearer and fairer for everyone. As long as you follow the instructions and keep an eye on your CAPS dashboard, you won’t have any issues.
