The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has provided clarification over the “No Result Yet” status being displayed for some candidates who sat for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), stating that the issue is not a technical fault but a deliberate policy affecting underage candidates.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Board’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, said the clarification became necessary following a surge of enquiries from concerned parents and guardians seeking to understand why their children’s results were not accessible.
According to him, the “No Result Yet” notification specifically applies to candidates who fall below the officially approved age threshold for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria. He emphasised that the message should not be interpreted as a system error or a delay in processing results.
“The Board has received numerous inquiries from parents regarding candidates whose results are currently displaying ‘No Result Yet,’” Benjamin stated. “This is not due to any technical glitch. It is simply because the results for underage candidates have not been released.”
The clarification sheds light on an issue that had generated confusion and anxiety among many families, particularly those whose wards had completed the examination and were expecting immediate access to their scores like other candidates.
JAMB reiterated that its policies are guided by established regulations governing eligibility for tertiary education in Nigeria. Central to these guidelines is the age requirement, which stipulates that candidates must be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, to qualify for admission into higher institutions.
“As stipulated by regulation, only candidates who will be at least 16 years old by 30th September 2026 are eligible to register for and sit the UTME,” Benjamin explained.
Despite this general rule, the Board acknowledged the existence of an “exceptional category” designed to accommodate academically gifted candidates who may not meet the age requirement but demonstrate extraordinary intellectual ability.
Under this special provision, underage candidates are allowed to participate in the examination process but must meet significantly higher performance standards to progress further. Specifically, such candidates are required to score at least 320 out of a possible 400 in the UTME, a benchmark that places them among the top-performing candidates nationwide.
In addition to achieving this high score, they must also secure a minimum of 80 percent in subsequent screening exercises before they can be considered for admission under the exceptional category.
Benjamin noted that these stringent criteria were agreed upon in consultation with parents and stakeholders prior to the examination, ensuring transparency and alignment on expectations.
“Underage candidates may be considered under the exceptional category, provided they demonstrate outstanding ability by scoring 320 and above in the UTME and attaining at least 80 percent in subsequent screening stages,” he said.
He further clarified that only those who meet the initial score threshold of 320 will be shortlisted and invited to proceed to the next phase of evaluation. Candidates who fall below this mark will not have their results released, as they do not qualify for further consideration under the exceptional framework.
“In line with the agreement reached and endorsed by parents of these underage candidates, only those who score 320 and above will be shortlisted and invited to proceed to the next stages of the screening,” Benjamin added.
The Board stressed that the decision to withhold results at this stage is part of a structured process aimed at maintaining academic standards while also providing opportunities for exceptionally gifted students.
For candidates who eventually meet all the requirements, including performance in follow-up assessments, there remains a possibility of being considered for admission into tertiary institutions despite their age. However, JAMB made it clear that such cases are limited and strictly regulated.
“For now, results for underage candidates remain unreleased,” Benjamin concluded.
The explanation from JAMB is expected to ease concerns among parents and candidates who had feared that the “No Result Yet” message indicated a malfunction or irregularity in the examination system. Instead, it reinforces the Board’s commitment to upholding its policies while balancing inclusivity for exceptional academic talent.
As the 2026 UTME results continue to be processed and released for eligible candidates, JAMB has urged the public to rely on official communication channels for accurate information and to avoid speculation or misinformation regarding examination outcomes.
The development also highlights the increasing competitiveness of the UTME and the emphasis placed on merit and eligibility in Nigeria’s higher education admission process. For underage candidates, the pathway remains open—but only through demonstrable excellence that meets the Board’s rigorous standards.
